Devilish
by s l y t h e r i n d o l l
Summary: And when her halo broke, she carved the two halves into horns.
1. Chapter 1

_**Draco Malfoy finds Hermione Granger in a compromising position…with his best friend. Like the loss of a blindfold, he's suddenly forced to see her in an entirely new light and it's affecting him in more ways than one. He is reluctantly forced to admit to himself that he wants her. The dilemma; Blaise Zabini knows a good thing when he sees it and he's not giving her up. The solution; who said anything about giving her up?**_

* * *

 **Yes, Slytherindoll, do start another fanfic while you already have 4 WIPs. That sounds like a lovely idea. There, I said it, so that you don't have to.**

 **ONLY WARNING: M** **énage à trois! Dark!Possessive!Evil!Psychotic!Obsessive!Draco** **Dark!Possessive!Evil!Psychotic!Obsessive!Blaise**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters!**

* * *

Hermione's mind didn't even register the slight pain as her back was forced into the wood of his bedroom door. She was far too preoccupied with…other things. The back of her head thudded against the door as she tipped it back, eyes scrunched together and mouth parted in pleasure. Her nails raked along the skin of his neck and shoulders as he trailed his talented lips down her chest.

Hermione was on cloud nine. Her frustration and annoyance had been long forgotten the minute his lips had touched hers. She couldn't help but to think that he couldn't get her skirt off fast enough. No sooner than the thought crossed her mind, did he hike the material up, exposing her upper thigh. A shudder passed through her when his lips connected with her flesh, teeth grazing the inside of her thigh.

As Hermione anticipated that now familiar feel of his body completely and perfectly aligning with hers, she thought back to about an hour ago…

* * *

 _"…The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them…"_

 _Hermione fidgeted, swallowing as her eyes continued to trail back to the cauldron filled with the potion every now and again. She took a deep breath, turning to fully face the cauldron now before continuing._

 _"For example, I smell…freshly mown grass and…parchment and spearmint…toothpaste…," she trailed off, hurriedly turning around and filing in beside Lavender._

 _Hermione heard nothing else of what Professor Slughorn said, her mind far too occupied on the effects of the potion. She tried her best not to dwell on the combination of scents that had appealed to her, one scent in particular standing out above the rest. She swallowed, clutching her books tighter to her chest as the familiar scent continued to waft around her nose, clouding her mind._

 _Just as she was about to follow the lead of the rest of the girls and take a step forward, the nagging sensation of being watched arose, making her hairs stand on end. She slightly turned her head and came face to face with Draco Malfoy's cold stare, his lips curled into a disgusted sneer. His expression dashed over her like a cold bucket of ice water and she blinked, coming back to her senses._

 _She too narrowed her eyes at him, raising an eyebrow in silent question as if to inquire just what the hell he wanted. He turned away, eyes disconnecting from hers with such dismissal that it almost stung. Almost. Hermione was much too used to his behavior towards her by now. This year, however, she had opted for ignoring him completely._

 _Harry was convinced that Draco Malfoy had taken the Dark Mark and while Hermione found it hard to believe, she didn't write Harry's suspicions off completely. Everyone knew what family Malfoy came from and it wouldn't exactly come as a complete shock if Harry's suspicions were true. She saw nothing to lose in simply humoring Harry by steering clear of Draco Malfoy at all costs. However, she hadn't counted on a new complication that would make that much easier said than done._

 _Hermione forced herself to push thoughts of **him** to the back of her mind, deciding instead to focus on the task for the day. _

_As class progressed, Hermione found herself becoming more and more frustrated as everything she did just went… **wrong**. It didn't exactly make her feel any better to see Harry doing much better than she was. He wasn't even following the instructions properly, for Merlin's sake! She probably would have been very happy to see Harry surpass her for once if it wasn't for that small detail. She was doing everything right! So why was it coming out so wrong? _

_She honestly tried her best to not let it get to her, but a tiny seed of bitterness had already grown when Harry was awarded the vile of Felix Felicis. She pursed her lips, reluctantly forcing herself to clap for him, despite how much she really wanted to wipe that smile off of his face. She felt defeated and she was sure that she looked as bad as she felt._

 _One look at Malfoy's face confirmed this and she forced herself to avoid his cruel gaze. He was practically eating this up, her failing for once, and she didn't want to have to see the reflection of that failure in his haughty expression. Class was ending soon and she found herself glancing towards the door just in time to see a familiar build pass by._

 _Hermione bit her lip, forcing herself to tear her eyes away from the entrance only find Malfoy glaring at her…again. She was just about to throw him a sneer of her own before a horrifying thought suddenly crossed her mind. Was it possible that…that he knew? She didn't have time to ponder this because they were suddenly being dismissed and Hermione found herself caught up in the crowd of students exiting the classroom._

 _She strayed from her friends as a firm hand gently grabbed her elbow amongst the crowd, pulling her back. No one noticed as they ducked away into a secluded area, his arms immediately wrapping around hers as soon as it was safe._

 _Brown connected with brown as she looked up into his eyes, noting the small Malfoy like smirk on his lips. She opened her mouth to ask him about Malfoy when his lips were suddenly descending over her own. All thought of Malfoy flew straight out of her brain as she wrapped her arms around his neck, the action causing him to lift her feet from the ground. Right now, she felt stumped and frustrated with Potions and wanted nothing more than to forget for a moment. She could always inquire about Malfoy later._

* * *

Her legs tightened around his waist as he pressed her into his mattress, one hand running down her side while the other cupped her cheek. Her shirt had long been discarded along with his, the offending articles of clothing currently strewn across the floor. Her unruly curls splayed around her head like a halo, the tresses pressing into her cheek when she turned her head while he focused more attention on the skin of her neck.

Hermione was reluctant to admit that she needed this, she had needed this for quite some time. Between school, Ron, and Voldemort troubles, she needed this release from time to time and never had she imagined that she'd be getting it from him of all people. However, she wasn't complaining. He suddenly rolled the two of them over, her wild hair falling down around them like a dark curtain, hiding the two of them from the rest of the world. He ran a finger down her nose, biting his lip as he gazed up at her, starry eyes. His other hand had just reached up to unclasp her bra, when his room door swung open with a loud bang.

"For Merlin's sake!"

Hermione let out a startled shriek and shrunk into Blaise as he rolled them over again, covering her as Malfoy's voice drifted over them. Hermione's eyes were wide as she covered herself, hurriedly jumping off of the bed to grab her shirt. As she made herself presentable, she noted the tense silence and looked up to find Malfoy staring at her in shock. No, shock was too much of an understatement. Shocked was not the right kind of word to use to describe the expression on Malfoy's face.

Malfoy looked the perfect mixture of horrified, disbelieving, nauseous, and dare she say it, a little bit impressed. Hermione was sure that her expression did not differ too far from his. No one knew about her and Blaise, no one, and now Malfoy of all people had just walked in on them. Hermione gulped.

To say that Hermione was terrified would not have even come close to how she was feeling at the moment. The two of them stood like that for a few seconds, staring at each other, not sure how to react before his eyes eventually trailed over her scantily clad figure. Hermione sharply inhaled as she remembered that she had not finished getting dressed and hurriedly pulled her shirt closed.

"Draco," Blaise hissed, signaling for him to give them a minute.

Malfoy looked as if he'd enjoy nothing more than to leave as he did just that, the door clicking shut behind him.

"Hermione," Blaise began as he walked towards her, wrapping his hands around her arms.

Hermione was on the verge of a heart attack, she was sure of it. She pressed her hand to her chest, certain that she was about to spew chunks everywhere.

"Hey, Hermione…look at me…"

"He's going to tell everyone," Hermione shakily whispered, her eyes connecting with his.

Blaise's eyebrows furrowed as he reached up, pushing her hair away from her face.

"No. No, no, no. He won't say anything-."

"You don't know him!"

"He's my best friend, remember?"

Blaise's reminder of that only forced her to frantically shake her head.

"Exactly. _Your_ best friend, not mine. In fact, he's the complete opposite, Blaise! He _hates_ me, and to be honest, the feeling is kind of mutual. No offense, but I will put money on the notion that his hatred for me might just trump his loyalty to you," she hissed, buttoning her shirt.

Blaise rested his hands on her cheeks, holding her head still.

"Look at me. He won't say anything. I'll make sure of it, okay?"

Hermione wanted to believe that, she really did, but what she and Blaise were doing hadn't exactly officially started until recently. The insecurities and unspoken words regarding their newfound relationship were rearing their ugly heads and Hermione didn't like it, not one bit. What if Malfoy forced him to choose? What if he even threatened to tell unless Blaise ended this with the 'dirty little mudblood'? Or worse, what if he simply ended their friendship, not being able to accept this? What if Blaise lost one of his best friends because of her?

Hermione would never understand how anyone could be friends with someone like Malfoy, but she had decided to not pass judgement a while ago. Blaise clearly knew a different Malfoy than the one she interacted with on a regular basis. It had been made perfectly clear to her how close the two were and she would never wish the loss of a close friend on anyone. _Even if that friend is Draco sodding Malfoy_ , she scathingly thought.

"You trust me, don't you?"

Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts by his question.

"To an extent," she honestly answered.

Blaise smirked, taking no offense to her answer, kissing her trembling lips instead.

"Understandable. Well, trust me when I say that you can trust him with this. Like I said, I'll talk to him. Alright…?"

Hermione reluctantly nodded, accepting Blaise's chaste kiss before opening the door. She sharply inhaled at the sight of Malfoy leaning against the wall opposite the door. Their eyes connected once again as she exited Blaise's room, her entire body freezing as his eyes bore into her own. Hermione wanted to take this chance to say something while Blaise was still getting dressed, but she didn't know what to say.

Her worst enemy, probably the person she hated most in the entire school, had just caught her as she was about to have sex with his best friend. She could imagine that it would be quite a shock, not to mention their new relationship that Blaise was no doubt going to explain to him. So she said nothing, turning to walk away, not missing the way his eyes narrowed at her cowardly retreat. Of course, she should have known that she wasn't going to get off that easy.

"I didn't know you had it in you, Granger. Here I was, thinking that you were nothing but a prude with a stick up her arse. Never would have guessed that you were really shagging my best friend like your life depended on it," he sneered.

Hermione wanted to let it go and walk away…but she couldn't. She slowly turned around to face him, her eyes reluctantly traveling upwards to connect with his cold ones. She forced herself to not shrink away from his menacing gaze.

"I would appreciate it if you would refrain from discussing things you know nothing about. After you've talked to Blaise, then you can insult me and tease me to your heart's desire," she said.

She suddenly sighed before taking a step towards him, missing the way his eyes trailed over her, face twisted into one of disgust.

"We're not friends, not even close, but you and Blaise are. I don't even know why I'm telling you this, but…I like Blaise. I like him a lot more than I'm willing to admit and for some reason, he seems to like me too. So I'm asking you, Malfoy, for once, please just hear Blaise out. Do the right thing and don't say anything to anyone," she pleaded.

Malfoy suddenly smirked, looking down at her with a cruel expression.

"You know what? I won't say anything…"

Hermione's sigh of relief was short lived as he stepped towards her, invading her personal space, his chest brushing against her folded arms.

"Nothing would give me more pleasure, than to know that while your friends are insulting us, defending your honor half the time, you're boning the enemy every other night," he whispered.

All color drained from Hermione's face as his words hit her. She leaned back as he leaned down, eyes glaring into her own.

"Do you know what happens to people who play with snakes, Granger?"

She didn't answer. His cruel smirk grew and just before he walked into Blaise's room, he darkly whispered:

"They get bit. In some cases, they get eaten alive."

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 **Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: I Own Nothing_**

* * *

 _Hermione stumbled her way up to the Astronomy Tower, vision impaired by her tears as she made her trek. Hermione wasn't used to this feeling, this feeling of being punched in the gut. Was this…was this what heartbreak felt like? She wasn't heartbroken, though, so why was she feeling like this?_

 _As the moonlight spread its rays throughout the tower, Hermione slowed down, taking careful steps towards the railing. Her eyes traveled over the school grounds as she leaned her elbows on the railing, the cool night breeze passing through her hair. She sniffled again, determined to pull herself together. She was embarrassing herself, even if there was no one around to witness said embarrassment. At least, that was what she thought._

 _She had not noticed the dark figure who had been in the Astronomy Tower before her, also gazing out onto the school grounds. He had watched as one-third of the Golden Trio had come stumbling up the stairs, face stricken with tears. Her mind was, no doubt, somewhere else entirely. Hence, her lack of awareness for her surroundings._

 _"I will be extremely disappointed if all of this is over Weasley," a deep voice sneered._

 _Hermione spun around, startled, before relaxing slightly at the face that appeared next to her from within the shadows. Blaise Zabini slithered up next to her with his usual aura of indifference. His question and raised eyebrow, however, betrayed that indifference._

 _Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, folding in on herself as she let out a scoff. She was going to throw some smart ass remark at him, no doubt hinting at him to mind his own business before she changed her mind. She suddenly had a thought that Hermione Granger rarely ever had. Who cares?_

 _"Am I **that** transparent?"_

 _Blaise watched as her face fell at the thought of people seeing right through her. He noted that her response did not deny his original assumption. He exhaled, turning to fully face her before leaning his side against the railing._

 _"No. A lot of people just seem to have a lot of interest invested into your relationship with him…or lack thereof. Of course, I am not one of those people. I couldn't care less, to tell you the truth, but you know, you hear people talk," was his nonchalant answer as he picked something off of his shirt._

 _Hermione pursed her lips at this response, trying to decide on how to react._

 _"…and what do those people say?"_

 _"Nothing that hasn't been said before, just wondering when you two will finally hook up," he answered, turning towards the railing now._

 _She was quiet for a moment as his dark eyes ran over the expanse of the school grounds, taking note of a couple canoodling by a tree out in the distance. He heard her quiet scoff before she finally responded._

 _"Of course," she spat._

 _Blaise couldn't help the humorous smirk that fell over his lips._

 _"Let me guess… Someone didn't get the memo, huh?"_

 _Hermione shook her head, a humorless chuckle escaping her lips._

 _"It's a bit more complicated than that. You wouldn't even begin to understand my feelings," she replied._

 _There was a short, yet not uncomfortable, silence before Blaise surprised them both by saying:_

 _"Try me."_

 _Hermione turned to look at him in shock, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. One of his eyebrows were raised, a Malfoy like smirk gracing his lips, challenging her._

 _"Did I just hear you say that you actually want to listen to my girl troubles?"_

 _"I've got nothing but time, Granger," he answered._

 _Hermione shook her head in disbelief, turning to stare outside again. She suddenly heaved a tired sigh, straightening._

 _"It has been brought to my attention that…Ron seems to really fancy Ms. Lavender Brown," Hermione said with fake bravado._

 _"Been there, done that. She's nothing special, so don't beat yourself up," he said._

 _Hermione chuckled, sniffling again._

 _"No, see, that's the thing. I'm not beating myself up over it. I…that's not the problem," she quietly replied, voice cracking._

 _Blaise was surprised to hear the tremor in her voice and he turned his head to look at her again. Her eyes looked like two glass orbs, shimmering in the moonlight with unshed tears._

 _"Then…what is the problem," Blaise found himself asking._

 _"I don't even really **like** Ron. It's just…the two of us getting together was what everyone expected. It was what was expected of us. His family, our friends, hell, people I barely even know expected the two of us to end up together. Unfortunately, I am also included in that category…"_

 _Hermione wasn't sure why she was telling Blaise Zabini all of this, but at the moment, she didn't really care._

 _Blaise's thoughts mirrored her own, almost verbatim. He too wondered what possessed Hermione Granger to spill her guts, but he found that he wasn't exactly complaining._

 _"Even though I know that he's not exactly my first choice, I also expected that we would be together. It makes sense, it's supposed to be easy…it's supposed to be right. Despite my lack of romantic feelings towards Ron, I was willing to settle for what was expected…"_

 _Hermione swallowed, recalling how not long ago, she had just turned into that corridor, seeing Ron and Lavender tangled around one another._

 _"Ron…Ron had other ideas. You may not think that Lavender is a catch, but he clearly does. He obviously sees something in her that he likes, that he wants, so he went after it. He saw someone that he wanted, someone outside of who everyone thought he would go after, and he went for it. Ron Weasley was not willing to settle…but Hermione Granger was," she finished, almost questioning herself._

 _Blaise stared at the confused girl before him and, surprisingly, he understood where she was coming from. Of course, from his end, Weasley wouldn't have exactly been settling, but he kept that to himself._

 _"So…you, like everyone else, was expecting the Weasley-Granger love affair. Weasley decided that he wasn't going to do what was expected of him. The realization of this new revelation is what lead to this. Correct?"_

 _Hermione nodded, failing to hide her small smile._

 _"That would be correct," she answered with a small chuckle._

 _"Well, now you just have to answer one question to solve this dilemma. What do you want? Weasley obviously went after what he wanted, so now it's your turn," Blaise said._

 _A look of confusion crossed over her features, Blaise noted, and she suddenly looked down._

 _What **did** she want? As crazy as it sounded, Hermione had just been waiting for Ron to finally make the first move that she had never even given any thought to anyone else. She supposed McLaggen was good looking. Well, there was no supposing about that. McLaggen **was** a good looking fellow. She had noticed him looking at her earlier in the Weasley shop._

 _Hermione suddenly stopped that train of thought. Was she considering McLaggen because she liked him or because he had shown interest in her? She furrowed her eyebrows, realizing that once again, she was going for easy. She suddenly turned to face Blaise, finally answering his question._

 _"I…I don't know. I don't know what I want."_

* * *

"Granger? _Granger?_ "

Draco's loud voice reverberated around the room, causing Blaise to wince beneath the scrutiny of his friend. Draco was like a fucking hippogriff, clomping around the room in anger, resembling a spoiled brat throwing a temper tantrum. _Oh…wait_ , Blaise suddenly chuckled at his own joke.

Draco's head whipped around, eyes zeroing in on his laughing friend. Draco failed to see how _any_ of this was funny.

"Is my…complete bewilderment somehow funny to you, Blaise?"

Blaise looked up at his troubled friend before heaving a sigh. He rose from his bed, walking towards Draco and resting his hand on his arm.

"No, of course not. I understand that this is a bit of a shock to you-."

"A bit? A bit? You're fucking around with the mudblood," Draco hissed.

As soon as that last word left Draco's lips, he found himself shoved into the wall, his best friend's angered face filling his vision. Blaise loved Draco, he did, but he liked Hermione, had grown to respect her and would be damned if he allowed Draco to disrespect her.

"If I ever…hear that word come out of your mouth again…I'll curse you, Draco. I mean it. You won't be able to walk for a month," Blaise threatened.

Draco stared at his friend in a mixture of fury and betrayal. It was Hermione Granger, the insufferable know-it-all, the mudblood. That's all that she had ever been, but now…

"Forgive me, _Blaise._ I'm just trying to understand when exactly did you start fucking her into next week," Draco sneered.

Blaise threw his hands up.

"Don't…don't talk about her like that. She-."

"Bloody hell. She was right… You _do_ like her," Draco breathed, a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Yes. That's what I've been trying to tell you for the past fifteen minutes. I like her, Draco. She's not so bad. As a matter of fact, I'd say she's the only witch in this entire school with some bloody substance," Blaise said, his shoulders sagging.

"Of course, it doesn't hurt that you're shagging her," Draco scathingly replied.

Blaise sighed, expecting no less from Draco. Of course, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a bit disappointed in Draco's behavior. Then again, maybe Blaise had been naïve enough to underestimate just how much Draco and Hermione disliked each other.

"Look, Draco, I'm laying it all out. I like her, alright? We don't exactly know what this is, but we know that we like each other and we're having fun…with just each other. She makes this school a little more bearable," Blaise confessed.

Draco felt an unfamiliar emotion rising within his chest and he narrowed his eyes at his friend. Granger must have been one hell of a lay because Blaise was started to sound like a fucking Hufflepuff.

"How long do you think your fun is going to last, Blaise?"

Blaise too narrowed his eyes at Draco's loaded question.

"Draco," he warned.

"No, really. Do you really think that this is going to last? You can't stay neutral forever! You know what side _I'm_ on and everybody knows what side she's on," Draco spat.

Just the thought of Granger coercing Blaise into joining the light side was enough to make his blood boil.

"You're going to have to choose eventually, and when you do, it's not going to be between sides. It's going to be between us. It's either going to be her…or me," Draco said.

Blaise didn't respond, closing his eyes at the truth in Draco's words.

"So you have your fun with the Gryffindor Golden Girl, just remember that we're already in the middle of a war," Draco sneered.

The door slammed with the sound of his exit.

* * *

Hermione continue to scribble down her notes, her bottom lip raw from the act of her chewing on it. Every time she tried to stop, she'd get that feeling of being watched, and it would start all over again. She knew it was _him_. There were no other options as to who it could be. Snape's voice continued to drone on and she could see Ron struggling to stay awake out of the corner of her eye.

Luckily for him, it appeared that Snape was just about finished with notes. She was proven right when he suddenly ordered all pencils to drop, announcing that for the rest of the year, they would be working in pairs. For once, Hermione hoped that she would get paired with Harry or Ron, despite how much they slacked off. It was just that, with her luck lately, Hermione feared that she would be paired with-.

"Malfoy…Granger."

Snape's voices ghosted over her like frost, freezing her in her place as her eyes widened. She faintly noted that a hand had patted her shoulder in sympathy, no doubt Ron. She could only imagine that Harry was too horror stricken at the thought of her sitting next to a possible Death Eater for the rest of the year.

"Ms. Granger…have you suddenly lost all ability to hear?"

Snape's voice pulled her from her pity party and she looked up, wide-eyed.

"No, professor," she answered.

"Have you decided to be a rebel, taking after your company and defying my instructions?"

"No, professor," Hermione quietly replied.

She could hear the Slytherin class snickering to themselves, much to her embarrassment.

"Then I suggest you gather your belongings and move to sit next to Mr. Malfoy," Snape sneered at her before walking away, his robes billowing behind him.

Hermione reluctantly stood as Snape continued to call out the rest of the pairs. She made her way towards the back of the class, avoiding his eyes at all costs while she neared her seat. Just as she passed him to sit down, she tripped, landing on her knees as her things spilled everywhere.

Draco smirked.

A few nearby students chuckled while Snape simply ignored her, continuing on. Hermione's face flushed with anger as she looked up into the cold eyes of Malfoy. His haughty smirk was firmly in place.

"On your knees before a Slytherin. This must be a familiar view for you, Granger," he quietly spat.

Hermione swallowed, face flushing even more in a combination of anger and embarrassment. She would be damned if he made her feel bad for how she felt about Blaise. She was not going to let him turn their relationship into something disgusting and…and shameful!

Hermione reached out, pulling his chair from underneath him and taking satisfaction in the way he landed on the ground. She hurriedly stood, eyes never leaving him as he followed suit, face morphing into something frightening. Hermione took a step back as he approached her, lip curled over his teeth.

"You filthy little-."

"You tripped me!"

"Was simply reminding you of your place," Draco hissed.

"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, perhaps this altercation can be finished in the Headmaster's office," Snape drawled, eyes flickering between the two of them.

Hermione felt her eyes water and she blinked the tears away, instead opting for grabbing her back and exiting the class in a huff, ignoring her friends' prying eyes. Draco's footsteps could be heard behind her, but she simply ignored him. She reprimanded herself for giving in so easily. Now, she was going to get detention.

She was forcefully pulled from her thoughts by a firm hand, a firm hand that was gripping her arm. She looked up in shock as Draco gently pushed her against the wall, his face nearing hers.

Draco ran his eyes over her, trying to find what was so special about this fucking girl. He had once thought that Blaise had _some_ semblance of taste…

"Don't go and get bold now just because you're boffing my best friend," Draco quietly stated.

Hermione's eyes widened at his crude language. How dare he!

"You-."

"Do well to remember that you have a lot more to lose than he does in this situation," he interrupted, the truth in his words effectively shutting her up.

Hermione clenched her jaw, moving to shove him away when he grabbed her other hand. She shrunk away from his scrutinizing gaze, stormy eyes passing over her as if she were an insect.

"I was here long before you came along and I'll still be here long after you're gone. _You're temporary, Granger_."

Hermione flinched as he threw those words at her and Draco took great satisfaction in it. He stepped closer, lowering his mouth to her ear.

"I can make your life a living hell."

Hermione shuddered as his lips brushed against her ear, the conviction in his words freezing her in place.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of. Remember that the next time you want to be bold," he hissed against her skin, pulling away from her with a glare.

Hermione swallowed as he walked towards the Headmaster's office, leaving her there in a state of fear and uncertainty.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

"Hey, Hermione! Wait up," a familiar voice called, causing Hermione to pause on the steps.

She turned around and threw Ron a small smile as he bounded towards her, his fiery hair falling around his ears like a glowing halo.

"I'm glad I woke up in time. I know that you usually like to go to breakfast pretty early," he said, stopping beside her.

"Were you hoping to catch me?"

He grinned down at her, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, actually. I uh…I wanted to talk to you about something," he said, visibly nervous all of a sudden.

Hermione had an inkling as to what this conversation was going to be about.

"Okay. We can walk to breakfast together then," she softly said, trying to calm his nerves.

As they began their trek, she noticed that Ron's fidgeting was beginning to increase. If her suspicions about the impending conversation were correct, then Ron was clearly nervous about telling her. No doubt, he didn't know what her reaction was going to be. Of course, he had no way of knowing that Hermione already knew, having witnessed a sweet, yet intimate, moment between the two.

Ron suddenly let out a loud sigh, startling her.

"Okay, so…here's the thing. The thing…uh, the thing is…," he trailed off, rubbing his hands together.

Hermione wanted him to spit it out already, and was very tempted to tell him so, but she decided against it. She didn't want to rush him when he was clearly tearing himself up over this. He suddenly slowed down, causing her to do the same, before turning to face her.

His blue eyes sparkled as he looked down at her, his teeth tugging on his bottom lip. It was an annoying habit that he had picked up lately, something he'd do whenever he was nervous. She'd constantly scold him about it, warning him that he would cause his lips to bleed. They always did, of course, proving her right.

"I want you to hear this from me before you hear it from anyone else," he slowly began.

"Okay."

Ron swallowed.

"You see…Lavender and I have been spending a lot of time together lately. I like her…a lot, actually. We've been hanging out and stuff," he said.

Hermione bit back a smirk, knowing what 'stuff' entailed.

"That's great, Ron. I'm really happy for you," Hermione honestly replied.

Ron blinked before all of the tension seemed to ease out of him with the sagging of his shoulders. He exhaled, his eyes and face brightening.

"Really…?"

"Yes, really."

"That's…that's great. I just…I know that…well, a lot of people thought that _we_ were…you know. Or at the very least, well on our way to. I-I didn't know if you were one of those people," he confessed, his hands moving about as he fought to get the words out.

Hermione shook her head with a small smile.

"No, Ron, I am not one of those people. You're my friend, and like I said, I'm really happy for you," she responded.

Ron nodded, a bright smile on his face.

"Good. That's good…"

He began to walk again and Hermione followed, her eyes on him. She let out a soft chuckle as she could see it all over his face. She decided to put him out of his misery and ask.

"You want to tell me about it?"

Hermione wasn't really in the mood to hear about anyone's relationship bliss at the moment, but Ron's smile was worth it. Ron was normally a very chipper, happy-go-lucky kind of person, but when he talked about Lavender, it was different. Hermione could see that he liked the girl and was very excited about beginning this new relationship. It was obvious that he was happy with Lavender, and therefore, Hermione was happy for him.

She realized that she was incredibly quiet throughout his tale of his epic romance. She looped her arm through his, sending him an encouraging smile, letting him know that she was indeed very interested in what he had to say about Lavender. Hermione didn't voice her opinions about how Lavender wasn't exactly known for commitment, but she figured that there was a first time for everything. Besides, he liked her and she clearly made him happy. Hermione wasn't going to spoil that.

Their little chat had taken a few minutes longer than Hermione had thought because when they entered the hall, it was lively with the chatter of students. Hermione took her seat in between Harry and Ginny while Ron sat across from them, Lavender immediately tucking herself under his arm. Ginny leaned close towards Hermione.

"You're taking this rather well," the redhead commented.

Hermione chuckled, turning to lean in towards Ginny.

"I know that you and everyone else seemed to think that Ron and I were involved in some sexual tension filled dance, but we weren't. I'm happy for him," Hermione said with a shrug.

Ginny crinkled her nose, briefly throwing a cold look at the pair across from them.

"It's sickening. She's all over him like a bloody beard or something," the other girl whispered.

"Ginny," Hermione admonished, taken back by the girl's hostility towards them.

Ginny simply shrugged, a look passing over her gorgeous features that told Hermione that she wasn't sorry in the slightest.

"I think it's cute…like puppy love," Hermione said, endearingly.

Ginny let out a cynical snort.

"Yeah, sure. I guess it would be like puppy love if they were both inexperienced teenagers who were having their first taste of ecstasy and romance, unsure what to do with themselves. However, that girl has been passed around more than a spare quill. She's got enough experience to share with half the girls in this school," Ginny scornfully replied.

Hermione sighed, shaking her head.

"Play nice," Hermione sweetly said, causing Ginny to roll her eyes.

Hermione didn't agree with Ginny's sentiments, but she knew that Ginny was just worried about her brother getting hurt. Anyone with vision could see how Ron glowed around the bubbly blonde and Hermione sincerely hoped that she was as into him as he was into her.

"Do I have to kick someone's arse," Ginny suddenly threw into Hermione's ear.

Hermione frowned in confusion, looking away from her food and at Ginny. The other girl wore a hard expression, an eyebrow raised in question.

"What are you on about?"

Ginny jerked her head towards the Slytherin table and Hermione turned to find Malfoy glaring at her. Her blood ran cold and she winced, glancing away. No, glaring was not the right word to use. That look had pierced itself into her very soul, causing a fearful shudder to travel down her spine. He had never looked at her like that. In all of his years of teasing her, he had never looked at her with such a look filled with promises of awful things to come.

"He's been trying to set you on fire with his eyes for the past five minutes, now. Is there something that I should know, Hermione?"

"No. I don't know what crawled up his butt and died," Hermione immediately answered.

Ginny's eyes lingered on Hermione, skeptical, before she eventually glanced away. Of course, Hermione had lied. Hermione knew exactly what had crawled up his butt and died. Their last encounter was still fresh in her mind, causing her to gulp as she remembered the way he had pressed her into the wall.

Throughout her entire education at Hogwarts, he had never treated her like this. The first time that he had called her mudblood didn't even compare to this. Then, it was just an ignorant kid saying the first thing that came to mind. It was just a snot nosed daddy's boy of a brat trying to make someone else cry. Now, it was an angry young man who seemed to be out for blood…and he had set his sights on her.

She kept telling herself to not be fearful of him, but she found that extremely hard to do. She had to admit to herself that this was not the same boy who would run to daddy first chance he got. Malfoy now seemed the type to be more than happy to handle things himself. He had not even done anything to her that would warrant such fear. No, his eyes, his words, and his aura did that all on its own. Harry's suspicions of Malfoy being one of them now may have been a little far-fetched, but Harry was right about one thing; there was something different about him this year. For the first time in her life, Hermione was afraid of Draco Malfoy.

* * *

"I should go," Hermione mumbled, attempting to sit up.

Blaise groaned in protest, wrapping his arms around her, holding her in place. He liked the feel of her soft body against his firm one, but he would never tell her that. They had both agreed that even though they had no idea what _this_ was, it couldn't get serious.

Hermione's thoughts did not differ too much from his. She was reluctant to leave, extremely content to just stay in his bed, but she couldn't. She, unfortunately, had to get back to the real world and that was something that she never looked forward to. Their stolen moments together had become her much needed respite, her own little piece of heaven. With a sigh, she pulled away from him, clutching the sheet to her bare chest.

"Five more minutes…?"

His question came out like a plea and he raised his eyebrows, his hand reaching up to trail down her arm. He pouted at her like a child and Hermione was very tempted…

"I can't. I have some homework that I need to look over," she mumbled, forcing herself out of the bed.

She had just bent down to grab her shirt and skirt when he spoke.

"Why are you lying to me?"

Hermione paused and they both knew that he had her.

"You look over your homework at least five times once you complete it and we both know that you complete your homework way ahead in advance," he said.

Hermione sighed, pulling on her skirt and shirt before facing him. The sight that greeted her almost made her lie again, just so he could stay like that. He had pushed himself up to lean on one arm, the black sheets covering the bottom half of him, giving her a teasing view of that oh so wonderful 'V'. His skin was still glowing with a light sheen of sweat, chocolate eyes resting on her.

"Malfoy hates me," she spoke into the quiet room.

Blaise frowned and Hermione sighed again.

"While I may not be his biggest fan, I don't _hate_ the guy. Malfoy on the other hand…he completely hates _my kind_ and it's practically driving him crazy that the two of us are…shagging," she spat out.

Blaise sighed, dropping his head before looking back up at her. She could tell by his expression that he was going to try and pacify her.

"He's just…confused-."

"Bollocks! That is…utter crap and you know it, Blaise. He isn't confused by anything, okay? He's not some innocent ten year old boy who's just finding out where babies come from. He understands perfectly and he hates it," Hermione ranted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Blaise bit his lip, an unreadable expression crossing his features before he threw the sheet away. He walked towards her, reaching out and brushing a stray curl behind her ear.

"Did he say something to you? Is that what brought this on," he harshly demanded, eyes hard and searching.

Hermione blinked before looking away, swallowing as she recalled Malfoy's biting words.

"Nothing worse than what I'm used to," she said.

"For fuck's sake," she heard him swear before he turned around.

She watched as he grabbed his pants, hurriedly putting them on before he began looking around. With a shock, she realized that he was looking for his wand. Hermione sighed in exasperation and placed her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing?"

Blaise looked up at her as if she had grown a second head.

"What do you _think_ I'm doing, Hermione?"

"Blaise, stop it. It's just Malfoy being Malfoy, okay? I don't know why you're reacting like this because you know what kind of company you keep," she stated.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on, Blaise! You know what Malfoy is like to everyone else. You know that the Malfoy you interact with is infinitely different from the one the rest of us have to put up with on a daily basis. You, Nott, and _maybe_ Parkinson are the only people who have seen this oh so great friend you are apparently lucky to have. Newsflash, the rest of us have to deal with the racist, hateful, haughty pureblood extraordinaire who thinks that the rest of us are just lucky to even be graced with his presence," she spat.

"I'm going to talk to him," Blaise said.

Hermione put her hand out, halting him.

"No, you already did. If he really is your best friend, then one talk should have been more than enough," she responded.

Blaise sighed, ending his search for his wand and approaching her again. He grabbed her hands within his much larger ones, pulling her closer.

"Do you want me to cut him off for a bit? Let him know just how serious I was?"

Hermione immediately shook her head.

"No. Merlin, no…"

Doing _that_ would just make things worse, she was sure. Hermione didn't even want to imagine…

"Tell me, Hermione. Tell me what I need to do to make this better, to make you happy," he offered.

Hermione shook her head, pulling her hands away from him.

"It's not your job to make me happy."

Blaise sighed.

"Hermione…"

"No. It isn't your job. You're not boyfriend and we are not together. I shouldn't have even brought it up," she said.

She buttoned her shirt, continuing to get dressed before grabbing her bag. She brushed past Blaise's hand on the way out.

"Hermione-."

"I'll be by tomorrow."

And then she was gone.

* * *

Hermione focused all of her attention on the task at hand, determined to pretend that he was not even in the same room. He was the reason that she was even in this mess and she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much she was angered by him. It would be like adding gasoline to an already raging fire.

Due to the lovely scene the two of them had presented in Snape's class the other day, they were now scrubbing cauldron's at eight o'clock at night. It was such a tedious task. For one thing, they were not allowed to use their wands, Snape being very clear on the fact that it must be done by hand. Once they were done, he was going to check to see how well they had done.

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. In all honesty, she blamed herself. She knew that Malfoy had just been itching to get a reaction out of her and she gave it to him, right on a silver platter.

"Problem, Granger?"

She briefly closed her eyes at the sound of his mocking voice. _He's not even here, Hermione._

"What are you, deaf?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, scrubbing the cauldron much harder now. She refused to let him get to her. He didn't speak for a while and she had fool heartedly let herself believe that that was the end of it.

"Ignoring me, are you?"

Hermione jumped in surprise from the sound of his voice coming from right next to her ear, dropping the cauldron in the process. She pressed her hand to her chest, forcing herself to calm down before glaring up at him. His face was so close to hers that she could smell the suffocating scent of his fragrant shower gel.

She went to bend down to pick up the cauldron when his hand shot out, grabbing it before her and tossing it behind him. Despite how much she wanted to just hit him, she didn't, and instead went to move around him. He stuck his arm out, placing it on the desk to her left. She exhaled, slowly looking up to glare into his eyes, her chest brushing against his.

A sneer was plastered on his face as he looked down at her. There was that look again. That new look of intense loathing that made Hermione's hair stand on end.

"What? You think that you're better than me now or something just because you're getting some pureblood dick?"

She mentally flinched, not appreciating his crude language. Hermione slowly placed her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side as she gazed at him as if he were an anomaly.

"Why are you so insecure, Malfoy?"

Her question didn't come out scathing or disdainful at all. It came out like a simple question asking about the weather and Malfoy blanched, eyes going wide from shock at her question.

"Is your friendship with Blaise _that_ rocky, that shallow? Do you really view me as that much of a threat? If so, that's your fault…not mine," she said with a shrug, shoving past him.

She gasped in shock when he grabbed her arm, shoving her against a desk and she winced as the corner dug into her side. He had an iron grip on her wrist, his nose pressed against her cheek as she turned her head away. He lingered there for a few seconds, his warm breath fanning over her skin.

"Who do you think you are? You are _nothing_ , Granger. You're filth, garbage," he sneered.

"Well, I guess that means that your friend likes trash, huh. The same can go for you, I guess. Birds of a feather and all that jazz," she said, desperately trying to retrieve her arm back.

Draco chuckled, a dark, menacing sound that made her falter. He tightened his grip.

"Was he your first, Granger?"

Hermione felt her face flush and she looked down, refusing to give him the satisfaction. It was too late.

"Aww. How _adorable_. Was it everything you ever imagined? Was it sweet and romantic? Did he give you a long passionate kiss after your round of boring, vanilla sex," he questioned, mocking her.

She finally was able to twist herself free and she shoved him away with a huff.

"You disgust me. I don't understand how Blaise can possibly be friends with someone like you," she snapped.

He glared at her, trying to curse her with just his gaze alone.

"There's a lot about Blaise that you don't understand, sweetheart. I personally don't understand how he can even kiss you, let alone fuck you when there are far better options in this school," he threw at her.

"Well, why don't you go and harass one of those better options and leave me alone. Blaise clearly enjoys being with me, so get over it."

He smirked, taking a step towards her.

"You're right. This has been going on for a good minute now, so clearly someone is a good shag. I'm betting on Blaise, but I can't exactly test that theory, now can I?"

Hermione took a step back.

"Why don't you show me a thing or two? Maybe you'll convince me that you're actually worth my attention," he purred.

Hermione glowered at him, turning away and heading towards the door. She didn't care how much trouble she would get into with Snape. She just wanted to be away from him.

"Come on. You're giving it up to him, might as well keep it moving down the list. After I've had my turn, I'm certain that Nott would love a go," he chuckled.

The sound of the harsh slap reverberated throughout the quiet classroom. Malfoy's head was turned to the side, his cheek glowing brightly from the force of her hand. Hermione's chest ached from the harsh words he had thrown at her and tears threatened to spill over. Her hand throbbed, but she didn't care.

"You are not even worth the sting in my hand. I will make sure that Blaise sees you for what you really are if it's the last thing I do," Hermione quietly whispered.

Malfoy slowly lifted his head, blazing eyes turning to gaze into her own with a look that froze her in her place.

"Careful, Granger. It might _just be_ the last thing you do…"

Hermione lifted her chin, refusing to be affected by his words.

"When I'm done with you, you're going to wish that you had never even looked at Blaise."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**If you couldn't tell, I'm trying out this 3rd person omniscient POV a little. Not sure how I feel about it yet.**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

 _"Dentists? What does a dentist do?"_

 _Hermione flushed, suddenly bashful about her parents' profession. It's not that she was ashamed, not by a longshot, for there was nothing to be ashamed of. Dentistry was a very respectable profession in the muggle world. Harry knew it and Ron understood and respected it. Mr. Weasley was, after all, very fascinated by the muggle world._

 _Blaise, on the other hand, was from pureblood society. She wasn't worried about him laughing in her face, but more so that he wouldn't understand it. She didn't know why she was so worried about his opinion of her parents and her life. These…meetings, or whatever they could be classified as, hadn't been going on for very long. Well…daily, but that was beside the point. Hermione cleared her throat, extremely nervous under his watchful gaze._

 _"They…tend to people's teeth. It's a medical practice, one that requires years of schooling as well as exceptional marks."_

 _She tried her best to not be obvious about it, but she couldn't help but to watch his reaction._

 _Blaise raised his eyebrow. Huh. He thought it a peculiar practice, but seeing as it was related to medicine, he imagined that it provided quite the income. He also deduced that her parents were no doubt highly respected and that was what he told her._

 _"I mean, it's nothing like being a lawyer or surgeon in the muggle world, but yes, it's still considered impressive. My childhood was filled with many teeth cleanings and the like," Hermione said with a shudder._

 _Blaise stared at her with an unusual expression and she noticed._

 _"What," she quietly asked._

 _Did she have something on her face?_

 _"Are all muggle families like that?"_

 _Hermione blinked, thrown by the unexpected question._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _Blaise was suddenly the unsure one. He was sure that any pureblood family, minus the Weasleys, would immediately understand as to what he was hinting at. The fact that Hermione had no clue led him to believe that the mannerisms of the average pureblood family were unheard of to her. He looked over the railing, out onto the school grounds._

 _"This isn't the first time that you've mentioned your childhood. From what I can tell, you and your family are quite…close. I was just curious if all muggle families were that way," he elaborated._

 _Hermione's mouth parted in understanding as she whispered a quiet 'oh'._

 _"Not all are like mine. We're all different. However, I don't think that I'd be wrong to assume that a good majority do have some sort of positive relationship," Hermione said._

 _Blaise nodded, leaning his arms on the railing._

 _"What is that like," Hermione suddenly asked._

 _Unlike him, she didn't need to elaborate. They both knew what she was talking about and Blaise slowly exhaled._

 _"It's…normal. My relationship with my mum isn't very close, not by a longshot. We live separate lives. I'm free to do as I wish as long as it doesn't tarnish the Zabini name…at least not **too** much, anyway. My mum is a bit more relaxed than other purebloods, like…say the Malfoys. We live our lives and we all know what will eventually be expected of us. People like Draco and I…it's all we know…"_

 _Hermione thought that was quite sad, but she didn't say this. Instead she took a deep breath and smiled._

 _"Well…maybe you can be different. Maybe you can have a wonderful relationship with your children and wife that isn't so cold and…shallow. Maybe you and your family can genuinely enjoy your home life," Hermione said._

 _Blaise allowed a bitter smile to take over his lips. It was nice to imagine, but he didn't have the heart to tell her that the chances of that happening were slim to none. A life like that just wasn't possible for people like him. It was cruel to imagine such a thing. He said none of this though. Instead, Blaise simply looked at her and smirked before saying:_

 _"Maybe I can."_

* * *

"…he can be such an ass sometimes, Hermione!"

Malfoy _was_ an ass. Not just sometimes, but all the time, Hermione deduced. She had thought about it for weeks and could not accurately pinpoint just what his problem was. She had originally thought that her parentage and lack of 'pure' blood was the problem. However, she decided that his prejudice couldn't possibly run _that_ deep. That would be preposterous. She then decided to think back to what she had told him about insecurities.

Maybe his relationship with Blaise wasn't that steady. Maybe he was worried that Hermione was going to steal Blaise away. Of course, this was Malfoy that she was talking about here and last she checked, he wasn't insecure about anything. If anything, he was probably a little _too_ sure of the fact that Blaise was loyal to him.

This brought her back to her original assumption. Maybe…maybe his prejudice really did run that deep. It was possible that Malfoy really hated her that much and did not think her good enough for his best friend, despite the fact that she and Blaise were not a couple. Of course, that fact only made it so much worse. Malfoy didn't even view her as good enough for a decent bedfellow.

Not that she wanted to be only viewed as such. Besides, Malfoy's hatred of her was nothing new and after years of dealing with it, she was used to it. At least, that was what she thought. For some reason, it cut a bit to know that Malfoy really thought that low of her and for no reason at all. She suppressed a sigh, forcing the slight pain down.

"Hermione! Are you even listening to me?"

Hermione lifted her head, eyes wide and blinking. Ginny had cut her story short and was staring straight at her. Right, Ginny was talking to her. She had been talking about Dean, _not_ Malfoy.

"Sorry," Hermione apologized, sheepish.

"You're a million miles away… I'm trying to tell you how much of a tosser Dean is being," Ginny ranted.

Ginny could tell that something was clearly on Hermione's mind. She wanted to press for information, but thought better of it. She would tell her when she was ready.

Hermione chuckled.

"Well…you aren't exactly a sweetheart yourself," Hermione joked.

Ginny gasped, placing her hand on her chest in mock outrage. Hermione may have been joking, but Ginny knew that there was some truth to the statement.

"And just what is _that_ supposed to mean? That's no excuse. I've just about had it up to here…," Ginny held her hand up, flat, "…with him. His jealousy is getting out of control."

Hermione smirked, looking at her friend.

"I thought you liked the jealousy… As a matter of fact, I thought that you thoroughly enjoyed the arguments. What was it that you said? Made the sex great and all that jazz?"

Ginny bit her cheek, turning her head away, but it was too late. Hermione had already seen the smile and they both laughed.

"That's true. I can't help it. There's just something about when it gets a little rough," Ginny said with a chuckle.

Hermione smiled, eyes faraway.

"You don't have to tell me…"

The words had already escaped Hermione's lips before she could even process them. Ginny's head whipped around and she stared at Hermione in shock, blinking with furrowed eyebrows.

Ginny blinked in shock as she finally understood the implications behind that sentence.

" _What?_ Hermione, have you been holding out on me?"

Hermione made a face that conveyed just how much she was regretting her slip of the tongue. Ginny grabbed her arm, turning her around to look at her.

"I don't believe it. Not only have you joined the rest of us poor souls and gotten yourself a sex life, but you didn't even tell me…," Ginny hissed.

Ginny was beyond surprised and, dare she say it, a little hurt.

"Ginny…," Hermione warned.

"…and apparently he likes to get rough in between the sheets. So I take it you're not going to reveal his identity?"

"Nope," Hermione replied with a shake of her head.

Ginny faced forward again, face thoughtful.

"Hmm, a mystery. He must be good in bed. Is that why you won't tell me who? Afraid I'll steal him away?"

Hermione laughed at Ginny's joke. She knew that Ginny was just being funny, but the thought of Blaise and Ginny did make her feel some kind of way. For some reason, she couldn't help it.

"I'd love to see you try," she chuckled.

"Ooh. She's possessive. Yes, yes, he must be very talented then," Ginny deduced, rubbing her chin.

Hermione laughed again at Ginny's antics.

"Who are you talking to?"

"The people, Hermione! The people want to know- no. The people _need_ to know," Ginny exaggerated.

Hermione shook her head, chuckling. Ginny's laughter soon died down.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Ginny was playful about it, but Hermione winced at the slight hurt she heard in Ginny's voice and she sighed.

"It's…complicated," was her answer.

Complicated didn't even begin to describe it.

Ginny expected an answer along those lines. She knew that if it were otherwise, she would have been the first to know about it.

"What, he has a girlfriend?"

"Ew, no! Merlin, no. You know that…that's not me," Hermione protested.

"Is he younger? Is it Ravenclaw complicated or something?"

Hermione blinked at the mention of houses.

"No," she said uneasily, swallowing.

Hermione's sudden change in tone of voice must have caught Ginny's attention. She glanced away as she felt Ginny's eyes on her face for a lengthy period of time.

"Is…is it Slytherin complicated…?"

Hermione opened her mouth to protest before snapping it shut. She clenched her fingers around the bench before dropping her head.

Ginny's heart sank. When she guessed that he was from Slytherin, she didn't imagine that it would actually be true.

"Oh, Hermione-."

"Don't, okay? You don't need to say anything. Believe me, I know…"

She lifted her head, eyes troubled as she stared ahead. Hermione knew exactly what Ginny was thinking because she had thought about it herself plenty of times.

"It's not serious or anything, right?"

"No, of course not. It's…just all in good fun," Hermione said, trying to nonchalantly play it off with a shrug.

Ginny snorted and Hermione turned to look at her.

"Yeah, that's what they all say. I like that you're finally coming out of your shell and trying something new, but we both know that you're not the 'casual' kind of girl, Hermione. What are you thinking? This can only end in one of two ways and neither way is smooth sailing from where I'm standing," Ginny replied.

Of course, Hermione knew this. She was no fool. She knew exactly what she was potentially walking into. However, she liked to think that Blaise wasn't like that, but then again…his best friend was a Malfoy. Was she only kidding herself?

"Not all of them are…you know, Ginny. Have you been hanging out with Harry lately?"

"No, I haven't, but it's not exactly a stretch, Hermione. I just hope that you know what you're doing because this could easily turn into a very dangerous situation," Ginny warned.

Hermione sighed again, knowing that Ginny was right. She suspected that if Ginny knew who it was and who he flocked with, her reaction would be entirely different. Little did Ginny know, Hermione was already in a very dangerous situation. Malfoy was out to ruin her and she didn't even know where to begin to fight him on this.

* * *

"…I'm telling you, he looks a bit pale to me."

"It's Malfoy, Harry. He's always pale," Ron snorted as they made their way away from the Great Hall.

Hermione chuckled, in complete agreement with Ron. Harry was visibly frustrated with their lack of worry and he sighed. They both knew how seriously he took this, and they respected it, but they also didn't want him to get too worked up over a theory.

Harry on the other hand couldn't fathom how they couldn't see what he was seeing. He was determined to prove to them that Malfoy was one of them now before it was too late.

"Yes, but he looks a bit more sickly, don't ya think?"

Hermione shook her head, looking at Harry.

"Honestly, no. Then again, who can even tell if he's more pale than normal? Like Ron said, he's practically translucent on a daily basis," Hermione said.

Harry shook his head, opting to drop the topic for now. He was getting nowhere…

"You've been steering clear of him right?"

Hermione faltered, biting her lip as she recalled her previous run-ins with him. Hermione imagined that if she simply stopped sneaking around with Blaise, then Malfoy very well would leave her alone. However, she couldn't bring herself to do that. She kept telling herself that it was because she didn't want to let Malfoy win. That was what she kept telling herself.

"Aside from us being paired in DADA together? Yes," she lied.

Harry rolled his eyes, anger written all over his face.

"I swear Snape did that on purpose. What could he possibly expect aside from disaster," Harry ranted.

Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit offended.

"Give me _some_ credit here, Harry. Besides, it's class. You think he's going to murder me in front of everyone?"

Hermione joked, but in all honesty, she was a little serious. Harry didn't seem to find her attempt at humor…humorous.

"Are we forgetting the last incident so quickly?"

Ron chuckled at the reminder and she threw him a glare.

"So he tripped me. It was classic Malfoy and I fell for it. He was simply baiting me for a reaction and I fed right into it," Hermione heatedly replied.

She was still upset with herself for _that_ one. To top it off, she had extra detention for leaving the last detention before it was time. Snape had managed to completely shatter her so badly with just one look that she didn't even listen to his lecture about 'responsibilities' and 'bad decisions'.

"Can't keep my name out of your mouth, Granger? Maybe you should be doing other things with those disgusting lips of yours. I'm sure that would fix your little dilemma," a familiar voice sneered.

She turned around, prepared to scold him for his crude insinuation, when she was beaten to it.

"As if Hermione would even put her lips within an inch of you. You're scum, Malfoy," Ron spat.

Malfoy smirked and Hermione glared at him. She wasn't sure what Harry was on about because he looked as put together as ever. Merlin, she couldn't stand him.

"Who said anything about me? From what I hear, I'm not the type of Slytherin Granger likes to skulk around with," he mocked, eyes resting on her.

Draco enjoyed watching her squirm.

Hermione fumed and her heart skipped a beat. Just what was he playing at?

"Didn't your daddy teach you not to tell lies, Malfoy? Or was he too busy kneeling before a half-blooded snake?"

Harry's retort came out incredibly clipped and scathing and she could see that Malfoy was more affected by it than he let on. Malfoy took a step forward, lips twisted into a sneer.

Who did Potter think he was? If only he knew what his Gryffindor princess was _really_ up to.

"Who says they're lies? You don't know what she's up to when she's not with you. She could be opening her legs for anyone-."

He cut himself off with a chuckle, pearly whites on display and backing up as Weasley flew at him.

Harry grabbed his friend in time, throwing a venomous look in Malfoy's direction. Malfoy was clearly very proud of himself…

"Guys, let's just go. He isn't worth it," she tried to reason.

"Don't ever talk about her like that. Hermione is worth a million times more than the slags of your dirty house," Ron hissed.

Hermione clenched her jaw, avoiding Malfoy's cruel gaze as her friends did exactly what he said they would.

 _"Nothing would give me more pleasure, than to know that while your friends are insulting us, defending your honor half the time, you're boning the enemy every other night," he whispered._

"Let's go! Don't give him the satisfaction…"

She turned to look Malfoy directly in his eyes.

"Insecure boys like Malfoy only want attention to feed into their _overcompensating_ egos," she finished.

She took great pride in the way his jaw clenched, eyes hard as he stared her down. She heard Ron chuckle as the two of them eventually backed off, walking towards the stairs. They obviously assumed that she was right behind them as they began to talk very loudly about Malfoy and just what he could be overcompensating for.

Hermione glared at him, raking her eyes over him in disgust before turning around and following.

Her eyes widened and she let out a surprise filled gasp as one strong arm snaked around her waist, tightly pulling her against a hard chest. Her heart sped up as she felt his fingers brush her hair away from her ear, the feel of the tresses being replaced by the feel of his lips as they brushed against her skin. What was he _doing_?

Malfoy noted that she smelled of honey. What a stupid fucking scent.

"Overcompensating? Just what could I possibly be overcompensating for?"

Hermione shuddered as he hissed into her ear, his warm breath fanning over her skin.

"Gee, I don't know Malfoy. Why don't you tell me? My comment seems to have hit a nerve, so you're clearly lacking…somewhere," she mocked.

Malfoy bristled.

"Would you rather I show you? Believe me, there's nothing _lacking_ about me," he snarled into her ear.

He pressed himself more firmly against her and Hermione flung herself away from him, spinning around to face him with a disbelieving chuckle.

"As if I would touch you! I wouldn't go near you with a ten foot pole, Malfoy," she slowly said.

She smiled as his eyes flashed, fists clenched at his side.

"What? Are you actually upset that there's a girl in this school who has no interest in you whatsoever?"

She took a step towards him.

"Are you that conceited, that you thought that on some subconscious level, I actually wanted you?"

Another step.

"Or are you annoyed that your best friend actually _bested_ you in this department for once? Are you annoyed that I, the mudblood, would choose him over you any day? Does your vanity know no bounds?"

Malfoy's eyes were blazing, jaw ticking as he glared down at her as she threw insult after insult.

"I guess the two of you really are opposites in every single way because…Blaise has everything that I want. You, Malfoy, you have nothing that I want," she hissed.

She backed up with a crooked smile of her own before climbing the stairs.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's an update.**

 **Someone asked if we would see a dark side to Blaise soon and all I'm going to say is that birds of a feather flock together. If you'll remember, that warning in the first chapter wasn't just about Draco.**

 **Also, telling you right now that the first time Hermione and Draco get together will also be the first time all three do and I expect that to happen somewhere from Ch. 10 to Ch.13.**

 **Also, somebody asked for a lemon...so...yeah**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

Hermione watched as Harry plopped down in the seat beside her with all of the grace of a drunken giant. It was quite early, so there weren't many students in the hall for breakfast yet. Ginny and Ron happened to be a part of that number. Hermione glanced at him, raking her eyes over his haggard form: sunken eyes, hair more unruly than usual, glasses crooked.

With a sigh, she reached up, properly pushing his glasses up on his nose. He flushed, a sheepish look on his face. He had thought that he had overslept and hadn't properly checked his appearance in the mirror.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Anytime. You want to tell me why it looks like you've had a rough night?"

Her question came out soft and quiet because she had a feeling that his answer was not going to be one that others should hear. He opened his mouth to answer before immediately snapping it shut. His eyes suddenly glanced towards a figure making their way into the hall. Hermione reluctantly followed his line of sight and felt her heart freeze just as Harry's eyes narrowed.

Malfoy made his way into the hall, Blaise right behind him, the two of them making a striking pair. Malfoy, however, looked almost as bad as Harry. She used the term 'almost' lightly seeing as the only similarities in their appearances were the dark circles beneath their eyes, indicating that Malfoy must have had a rough night as well. Malfoy, on the other hand, had at least made an effort to look as put together as usual, she was loathed to admit.

Hermione had made it her best effort to avoid him as much as possible since their last run-in. She knew that her words had cut him more than he would ever admit and she was not ashamed to admit to herself that that made her happy. He had always taunted her, even almost bringing her to tears a few times, even succeeding once. However, ever since he had found out about her and Blaise, it had gotten worse.

The things that had come out of his mouth as of late affected her more than she wanted to confess. Normally, she might not have cared, but she refused to let him make her feel bad for what she was doing. She refused to let him turn what she and Blaise had into some dirty, cheap thing. Hermione had long given up on trying to figure out what his problem was. She had decided that it wasn't her burden to bear.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Malfoy glanced up at her just as he sat down, the familiar sneer perfectly in place. The dark circles beneath his eyes made his expression all the more uglier and this brought her back to her original train of thought. She turned to look at Harry, an accusing expression on her face.

"Please, tell me that _this_ …," she gestured to his appearance "…has nothing to do with Malfoy."

Harry clenched his jaw, picking at his food before shaking his head. He wouldn't lie to her…

"I can't tell you that," he finally said.

"Harry," she chastised in exasperation.

He suddenly dropped his fork, quite harshly, before turning to face her.

"What do you expect from me? Neither you nor Ron are taking my concerns seriously…," he began.

"That's not true," she protested.

"Yes, it is. You think I'm paranoid and I'm not. I'm going to prove to you that he's one of them."

"By following him," she incredulously questioned.

Harry turned to glare at the Slytherin table. Merlin, he hated Malfoy with a passion like no other.

"He's up to something. He's been going to the seventh floor a lot. I'm not sure for what, but I just know that it isn't good…"

Hermione sighed.

"Okay. I'll humor you… Let's say that you are right and he is one of them now. Do you really think that following him is a smart idea? You don't think that's kind of dangerous?"

Harry sheepishly looked away, shifting in his seat.

"Yeah, okay. It might not be the smartest idea, but what else am I supposed to do? I'm not just going to sit around and wait for something to happen," he said.

Hermione understood his reasoning, she did, but that didn't make her any less nervous. Before she could tell him that, Harry was suddenly gathering his things.

"See! He's leaving already and he just got here. Him and his sidekick," he spat, standing up.

Hermione didn't appreciate his nickname for Blaise, but she grabbed her bag and hurried after him nonetheless.

"Harry," she called, catching up to him as he practically ran out of the hall.

Malfoy and Blaise had moved quite quickly, as she did not see them at all once she made it out. Harry seemed to have remembered where they went though as he hurried up the stairs. Hermione had just caught up to him as they rounded the corridor and she suddenly felt herself falling, her bag landing on the floor just before she did.

"You slimy snake!"

Harry had seen that and he wasn't going to let Malfoy get away with it.

"My apologies, Potter. I was simply leaning against the wall here. How was I to know that she was coming around the corner?"

Hermione had pushed herself onto her knees just as his venomous voice reached her ears. She glanced at her scuffed palms before glaring up at the man who tripped her. His top lip was curled over his teeth as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed with his foot still out. She glanced at Blaise, noting, with worry, that he too was glaring at his friend.

She could hear Harry tearing Malfoy a new one, and Blaise took that opportunity to quickly kneel down and grab her bag. He handed it to her and she took it with a slight nod, avoiding his eyes as she threw the strap over her shoulder. She glanced up, noting that while Harry had missed the exchange, Malfoy had not.

If it were possible, his eyes appeared even icier as they held her gaze. Hermione felt herself flush and her heartbeat speed up as he raked his eyes over with a look of utmost disgust. She unconsciously took a step back, glancing at Blaise just as he took a step towards Malfoy.

"What were you even doing here anyway, Malfoy?"

Harry's voice broke the spell and Malfoy turned to glare at him, causing Blaise to catch himself and take a step back.

"What's it to you, Potter? A friend and I can't have a simple conversation without Saint Potter sticking his nose in it?"

Harry glared at him, unable to say anything lest he gave himself away. He eventually scoffed and turned away.

"Let's go, Hermione…"

Hermione all but sprinted after Harry, avoiding Malfoy's icy gaze and Blaise's inquiring eyes as she went.

* * *

Hermione was outside, making her way back inside to her dorm, when he found her.

She had heard fast approaching footsteps and had looked up in surprise to find Malfoy heading straight towards her, purpose in his every step. His black coat flew behind him in the slight breeze like a cape, his eyes glowing with absolute disdain. She had involuntarily took a step back at the sight, taken back. She was even more taken back when he didn't slow down, not one bit.

Before she could even process it, he was practically on top of her, chest brushing against her folded arms.

"Tell your fucking sidekick to stop stalking me," he spat so harshly that she flinched.

The only indication of surprise she gave to his request was a slight widening of her eyes, but it was enough for him to catch. He narrowed his eyes, pressing himself against her even more.

She suddenly shook her head, glaring up at him.

"I have no idea as to what you're talking about," she snapped.

He pushed against her shoulder, gently shoving her against the outside wall of the school. Did she take him for a fool?

"You're an awful liar, Granger. Do I look stupid to you? Just what does he think he's doing, huh?"

"Look, I already told you that I-."

"Does he think I'm one of them, now? Is that it?"

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but he beat her to it.

"It is, isn't it? Heh, I think Pothead is getting in way over his head, don't you?"

Hermione had finally had enough and she shoved against his chest, pushing him away from her.

"Listen, Malfoy-."

"No, _you_ listen. You tell Potter to stop fucking following me…," he hissed, getting in her face again, his breath hitting her face.

She shrunk away as he reached up, fingering one of her unruly curls. He rubbed the soft piece of hair between his fingers, unconsciously enjoying the feel.

"…or I might just make the Dark Lord's job a little bit easier."

Hermione's eyes bulged and she smacked his hand away. He twisted their hands so that hers was now trapped in his deathly tight grip and they both ignored the unfamiliar feeling that it brought.

"Are you threatening me? Threatening _us_?"

"See it however you like. You either relay that message or don't be surprised when your boy toy ends up in the infirmary for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong," he spat in her face, throwing himself away from her before turning and walking away.

* * *

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," he breathed against her lips.

He knew that he sounded like a complete fruitcake, but he didn't care. Hermione couldn't hold in her soft chuckle and he then decided that it was worth it.

"Blaise, you see me around school all the time. We even have potions together," she whispered back.

He sighed, leaning away and brushing her hair out of her face. He ran his eyes over her, drinking her in,

"I know, but…that's not the same."

Hermione drew shapes on his bare chest as she wholeheartedly agreed. She understood exactly what he meant.

"Yeah," she agreed with a sigh.

 _"…we both know that you're not the 'casual' kind of girl, Hermione."_

Ginny's words came to the forefront of her mind with a vengeance and Hermione rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'm actually glad that I finally got you all to myself…"

"Oh?"

She rolled back over onto her side, a small smile on her face. It soon began to fade at the serious expression on his.

"Blaise…if this is about what I think it is…"

His frown deepened.

"Then that really does make you The Brightest Witch of Your Age."

"Blaise, I don't want to talk about this," she whispered, pulling his face towards her own.

He turned his head away, sitting up.

"I've been playing it over and over again in my head. The look on your face when Draco tripped you…," he began.

She mentally sighed, following his lead and sitting up, clutching the sheet to her chest.

"You didn't look angry…or even surprised. You looked…annoyed…fed up. That made me think…"

"Blaise-."

"How often does something like that happen?"

He turned to face her and Hermione held his gaze for as long as she could before glancing away. He felt his heart freeze.

"Fuck," he swore, raking his hands over his face.

"Blaise, it's really not that big of a deal," she said, resting her hand on his back.

He felt his anger rise and he looked at her.

"How can you even say that?"

"Because it's what he's been doing for years! You know this… I'm not sure why you're being this way when you know how he is and how he feels about me. How he's always felt about me," she replied.

"I've talked to him, Hermione. He knows…he knows what you are to me," he responded.

"I'm not your girlfriend. I'm not your fiancée. I'm not anything like that. I'm a fling. Why would you expect him to completely change his character towards me just because we're shagging?"

"You know that you're more than that. Is that how you see yourself?"

"That's what I am! That's what we are…"

Hermione felt guilt swim within her chest as he looked away and Hermione rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Blaise, come on… We agreed-."

"No. _You_ decided…and I reluctantly agreed…"

Hermione felt her heart sink as he turned to face her.

"What do you want from me, Blaise?"

Blaise couldn't even put into words what he wanted from her. He wanted a lot of things from her, things he thought that he'd never want from a girl until much later in life. Granger was…surprising and Blaise Zabini was hardly ever surprised. He didn't know what to do with her, he just knew that he wanted all of her. However, instead, at the moment, he settled for what she was willing to give…

He leaned in, pressing his lips against hers and Hermione returned the kiss. She brought her hands up to rest on the sides of his neck, allowing the sheet to slip down. Her world was spinning and she soon found herself on her back, hair fanned around her head like a crown. Blaise wanted to savor the moment, they both did, but he wanted her, _needed_ her at that particular moment like no other.

His hard body was pressed against her much softer one and she moaned as he fit inside of her like a missing puzzle piece. Her nails raked over his arms and back as he moved against her, awakening that familiar fire within her. Every single time was always like the first time and Hermione dreaded the day when she would have to let him go. It was inevitable and it was something she did her best not to think about.

He nibbled and sucked on the skin of her neck as he thrust into her welcoming core. They were a tangled mess of limbs, arms wrapped around each other and legs intertwined. Hermione felt her eyes involuntarily roll as he pressed his hips against hers again and she gasped, clutching the sheet as his movements sped up. Their last moment was hardly an hour ago, but Hermione was sure that she'd never get enough of him and Blaise's thoughts mirrored her own.

Their breathy moans and labored breathing filled the room and there was nothing 'casual' about it…

* * *

Hermione had been in and out of sleep for the rest of the night, the bed all to herself. Blaise had stepped out, whispering some reason into her ear, but she had been too tired to properly listen. She was in one of her delirious states in between sleep and consciousness when she heard him return.

He didn't say anything and Hermione was content to fall right back asleep when she felt him approach, brushing a finger along her exposed back. She mumbled incoherently, delighting in the feel of the shudder that traveled down her spine. He trailed his finger down her spine, stopping at the small of her back where the sheet began.

He then made his way back up to her neck, brushing his hand against the sensitive skin and she moaned in delight. His fingers tangled in her hair, pulling the tresses away from her neck and ear, replacing them with the slightest brush of his lips. Heat spread along her neck, traveling all the way to the pit of her stomach.

"Blaise," she softly mewled.

A dark chuckle rang throughout the room and Hermione's eyes snapped open as a voice replied that definitely did not belong to Blaise.

"Granger."

* * *

 **0_0 Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**It's an update!**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

In a split second, Hermione had yanked the sheet up over her and spun onto her back, staring at a familiar pair of silver eyes in a mixture of shock and fear. Her heart was beating so fiercely, that she was sure it was going to jump from within her chest at any moment.

Draco hovered over her with one hand pressed into the mattress beside her waist, the other beside her head. He reveled in the distress and surprise he saw swirling within her eyes.

Hermione noted that his head was tilted to the side, staring at her as if _she_ were the anomaly in this situation. His pale hair fell over his forehead, a few long strands falling into his eyes as he gazed at her with that cruel, seductive smirk.

Hermione blinked, completely at a loss for words.

Once she got past the fact that Malfoy was in Blaise's room…alone…with her, she then remembered what had happened not even a minute ago. He…he had _touched_ her! So intimately, so seductively that she had thought he was Blaise. He had completely violated her personal space and the worst part was how gentle he had been about it!

She shuddered as she recalled the pleasure that she had gotten from his touch. Even though she'd had no way of knowing that it was him, it disturbed her to know that he was capable of that. She was used to him tripping her, cornering her in corridors, but this! Hermione didn't even know that there could be anything gentle about Malfoy…

The anger finally set in, long overdue, and her eyes hardened.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Her voice came out much higher than she intended and even she almost winced at the sound of it. She couldn't help it though. Malfoy trying to shove her down some stairs was normal. Malfoy cursing her was normal. Malfoy knocking her books out of her hands…normal. Malfoy sneaking into Blaise's room and touching her and hovering over her so intimately was not normal.

His smirk grew at her question and she noted, with fear, that his eyes seemed to almost light up with amusement.

"I got to thinking, you see…," he began.

Hermione glanced to her right at the nightstand, eyes landing on her wand. Draco didn't miss this, and his smirk grew more sinister.

"Blaise is a great guy, with great taste. I've been looking at this wrong this whole time. I thought to myself, 'he clearly sees something in you that I don't, possibly never will'."

His words brought her attention back to him and she stared at him with wide, cautious eyes. He was so close that she could feel his body heat, warming her suddenly cold frame.

"When I walked through that door, I did not expect you to be here… _This_ was not my intention when I walked through that door…," he let out a husky chuckle, one that made her nervous "…however, upon seeing you in such a vulnerable position, I just couldn't help myself."

Hermione swallowed nervously at the sight of his grin, glancing at her wand again before resting her eyes on him. She needed to get her wand, but she didn't want to take her eyes off of him for one second. _This_ was new and she didn't know how to approach the current situation. She didn't know what was going through his head, what he was planning and that scared her.

"So…I think I understand it now. I think I…," he ran his eyes over her with a leer, lowering his voice "…see what he sees."

"Malfoy, you've got one sick sense of humor. If you leave right now, I promise that I won't tell Dumbledore about this," she spat through clenched teeth.

He raised an eyebrow, leaning in some more. Was that supposed to be some sort of threat?

"Is that supposed to scare me… _Hermione_?"

Hermione didn't like the sound of her name coming from in between his lips. She couldn't pinpoint why, just that she didn't like it, not one bit.

"What do you want from me? If this is your way of scaring me away from Blaise, then you've got another thing coming. I-."

"I wonder what would happen if he walked in right now," he mused, completely ignoring her.

Her heart froze and goosebumps erupted over her skin as his words reached her ears. He trailed his eyes over her again, much slower this time.

"I mean…I know that you two aren't actually together, but I'm certain that this would drive a wedge or two between the two of you. Wouldn't you agree?"

He leaned in closer and Hermione tightened her grip on the sheet, pressing herself further into the bed. Hermione inhaled, taking in a deep, shaky breath.

"Is that what this is? Is this your new way of trying to get rid of me? Is this revenge for my quip about your endowments…or lack thereof?"

Her question came out icy, mocking and his eyes narrowed.

"No. This is simply me knocking you off of your pedestal," he spat.

"Accio-."

His large hand was over her mouth in no time and she reached out towards the nightstand, but he beat her to it. Her wand clattered to the floor and she felt her blood boil.

"Blaise seems to think that you are a rarity amongst the rest of these bimbos. He's under the impression that you're different… _a fucking unicorn_. This is me proving him wrong," he said.

Before she could even register what was happening, he had swung his leg over the bed, straddling her. Hermione was now much more aware of her state of undress beneath the sheet and she fought against him. Just what the hell was he doing?

She gasped when his fingers grasped her hair, yanking her head back, exposing her neck. Her heartbeat was setting a record at the moment and there was nothing she could do to stop it. His thighs were pressed down on hers, pinning her down, and his nose was trailing along her neck. Hermione's breath was coming out in short, choppy pants, her chest heaving.

He brushed his lips against the shell of her ear.

"I'm going to prove that you're just like the rest of these slags. I'm going to prove that you would open your legs for either one of us simply because he's Blaise Zabini and I'm Draco Malfoy," he whispered.

His breath tickled her skin, making her shudder.

"You're no different from the rest. You're not special," he purred.

She squirmed beneath him and almost sighed in relief when he sat up, only to gasp in shock when he rocked his hips against hers. Her eyes widened and she pressed her hands against his chest, only for him to grip them and pin them beside her head.

"Malfoy…you've had your fun-."

"Oh, please. I'm just getting started," he darkly replied.

Hermione bucked her hips when he ran his tongue along the skin of her collarbone, teeth grazing her flesh. His chest brushed against her sheet clad one, raising goosebumps along her skin. His hips rolled against hers again and Hermione felt her throat go dry. She could feel her skin becoming clammy, body trembling; she was nervous.

She was nervous because even though her mind protested, even though she loathed Malfoy with a passion, her body didn't appear to be on the same page. Her body did not know that she despised Malfoy. She could feel her entire frame heating up, all of the heat seaming to travel towards the same direction. This scared some sense into her and forcing her legs up and beneath his stomach, she shoved him off.

She took great pride in the way he landed on his back on the floor. She hurriedly pushed herself back against the headboard and he stood up, hard eyes trained on her when the door opened.

Her wide eyes met those of Blaise and he looked between the two of them in shock which bled to confusion which then bled to suspicion as his eyes finally rested on Malfoy.

"What the hell are you doing here, Draco?"

Malfoy didn't miss a beat, smirking before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"I was looking for you and I didn't know that Granger was in here. I was just about to leave, actually," he smoothly said.

Blaise narrowed his eyes at him before resting his eyes on her. It sounded reasonable enough, but after the last encounter with the three of them, it was safe to say that Blaise didn't trust Draco around Hermione at all.

"Hermione?"

"He just startled me, is all," she whispered, almost too quickly.

Blaise rested his eyes on her for what felt like a nerve-wracking amount of time before reluctantly looking at Malfoy.

"Right. I'm actually glad that you're here… I need to talk to you, anyway," Blaise said, gesturing for Malfoy to lead the way out.

Blaise sent her a reassuring smile before closing the door behind them and Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Hermione pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she stared ahead. She hung her head in defeat, forehead pressed against her knees, trying to force the feel of Malfoy's lips on her skin out of her mind.

* * *

"Hello! Earth to Hermione!"

Hermione blinked, brought back into the world of the living by Ginny's voice. She had zoned back in just in time to side step a fellow schoolmate, almost knocking the both of them over in the process.

"What is going on with you today?"

She turned to her right to face Ron who gazed at her in concern. Harry was to the right of him, looking past Ron's shoulder, also looking at her with worry. Hermione shook her head, forcing herself to focus on Ron's question.

"I just had a bit of a rough night, is all. It's nothing to fret over…," was her lame response.

"'Mione, you didn't answer a single question in class today. Call me crazy, but it looked like Snape was actually getting worried for a second there," Ron replied.

Ron was half joking and half serious. She had been acting very unlike her, worrying both Harry and himself.

Hermione swallowed, recalling the torture that was Snape's lecture. She had actually forgotten that they'd been paired up now and when she had walked into the classroom, her heart had dropped at the sight of Malfoy sitting in his seat…at _their_ table. Her misery had to have been obvious because Malfoy latched onto it like a constrictor.

He had whispered the most inappropriate things during class. He had taken every single opportunity to touch her in some way. Whether it was brushing his thigh against hers, reaching over to grab his quill that had somehow 'magically' rolled over to her side. He even went as far to brushing his hand against her exposed leg while picking up his parchment that had 'slipped from his fingers'.

To add fuel to the fire, he had gone on and on about how Blaise would tire of her. About how temporary she was. About how she was _nothing_.

She hated him. Merlin, she hated him! She could say that now with absolute certainty. She didn't understand, she just didn't understand why he hated her so much. She didn't understand why he was trying to do everything in his power to keep her away from Blaise. This was something that clearly meant a lot to him. She was a mudblood. He was disgusted by her, so the fact that he was willing to go so far as to 'seduce' her to get Blaise to end things with her, said a lot about his will.

She shook her head.

"Am I not allowed to have an off day or two?"

"Mm, well…I guess you do have a point there. You're always so on top of everything, so I guess it's safe to assume that every now and then you'd crack," Ginny agreed.

"Thanks…Gin. I really like the way you worded that," Hermione sarcastically replied.

Ginny threw her a mocking smile.

"So it's agreed then? We're all going to Hogsmeade this weekend," Ron proposed.

Hermione guessed that this was the part of the conversation that she had missed.

"I uh…I can't. I have something to do."

Harry's voice reached her ears and Hermione turned to stare him down.

"Really? Like what?"

Harry clenched his jaw, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Just something personal, Hermione," he replied.

"Nothing dangerous, I hope. We all know how you can be," she firmly said, making her implications obvious.

Ron and Ginny glanced between the two, picking up on the tension and opting to stay out of whatever was going on.

Harry's jaw ticked and he glanced away.

"No. Nothing dangerous."

Hermione didn't trust his tone and was just about to reply when a commotion drew all of their attentions towards the middle of the corridor. A rather large crowd had formed and as they neared, Hermione noted the look of fear on students' faces, some even backing up. As Hermione's eyes settled on the spectacle, she then understood why.

She sharply inhaled, feeling as if someone had punched her in the gut as she watched Malfoy bring his fist across Blaise's face, turning his head so sharply she winced. She stumbled back as Blaise leaned down and wrapped his arms around Malfoy, roughly shoving the fair haired boy into the other wall.

Loud gasps and murmurs filled her ears as Malfoy visibly winced, his back, no doubt, in immense pain. Blaise brought his fist into Malfoy's stomach several times, not even stopping when Malfoy was doubled over. Blaise hooked his fist to the left, connecting with his face, but as Malfoy fell, he took Blaise down with him.

"Heh. You think they'll kill each other?"

Hermione swung her head around, hair flying as she stared at Ron with wide, fearful eyes. Ron nervously chuckled.

"What? It was a joke…mostly…"

She shook her head in disbelief at him before turning back around. The two of them were on the floor now and Hermione realized, in horror, that they didn't look to be stopping anytime soon. She glanced around and noted that everyone seemed to be rooted in fear.

"Someone has to stop them," she breathed.

"Hermione, no one wants to go near _that_ , rightly so. It looks as if they're trying to kill each other," Ginny whispered.

Hermione glanced around again and realized that Ginny was right. Nobody knew what to do. Hermione's eyes fell on Pansy Parkinson who gazed at the two in a daze, too scared to stop them, too scared to leave, too scared to move.

"Parkinson," Hermione yelled.

Parkinson's head snapped in her direction, eyes wide.

"Do something," Hermione cried.

Parkinson frantically shook her head.

"I'm not getting in the middle of that, Granger," the dark haired girl shakily replied.

A harsh cry brought her attention back to the pair and Hermione stumbled forward as Malfoy had Blaise on his back, repeatedly sinking his fist into his stomach. Hermione brought her hand to her mouth to keep from crying out. _Get up, Blaise. Get up!_ He didn't get up. Anytime he tried to so much as lift his head, Malfoy would bring his fist back down.

Hermione felt her heart drop when Blaise coughed, blood staining his lips. He feebly reached his hands up to grab Malfoy's fists, but Malfoy simply shoved them away before bringing one fist down to his face and the other to his stomach. Again…again…and again.

"He's not stopping," Ginny whispered, horrified.

Hermione's vision began to blur.

"Stop! **_You're killing him_**."

But Malfoy didn't stop. Malfoy didn't even pause, didn't give any indication that he had heard her. Hermione ran forward, ignoring the cries of her friends.

"Malfoy, stop," she shrieked.

As soon as her fingers made contact with his arm, she found herself on her back, staring up at him in shock. He had gotten off of Blaise, standing over her with a look so cold. His hair was damp with sweat and clung to his forehead. His bottom lip was beginning to swell, blood already beginning to dry on them. His left jaw was purple, the bruise traveling up the side towards his eye.

He took a step towards her and his fists clenched, drawing Hermione's attention to the blood and bruising there as well. She swallowed, prepared for whatever he was about to do, whatever he was about to say, because Hermione had a feeling that what had just happened, had to do with her. Before anything else was done though, Malfoy was suddenly slammed into the wall.

Hermione hurriedly scooted back, noting the hands that were now helping her to her feet. Blaise had one hand around Malfoy's neck, holding him in place, while the other was used to punch him with so much force that he stumbled. Blaise stumbled back too, but Malfoy kept stumbling before he eventually collapsed, catching himself on his hands and then passing out on his back.

"Move! Move! Everyone out of the way," McGonagall's voice reached them, too late.

She sharply inhaled at the sight before her, the Head Girl and Head Boy behind her. Hermione imagined that it was a sight to behold; two bloodied teenage boys, passed out and the other leaning against the wall, hanging onto consciousness for dear life.

Hermione's eyes connected with Blaise's, not detaching for a second, even as he was hauled away to the infirmary.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

 _"Mmph, Hermione-," Blaise said, cutting himself off as he pushed her away._

 _Hermione stumbled back, startled, and stared at him in confusion. Had she misjudged? Was it possible that Blaise Zabini **wouldn't** sleep with just anyone? Not even her?_

 _"What…?"_

 _Blaise touched his lips, still taken back._

 _"What do you mean 'what'? Wh-what are you doing?"_

 _The kiss had taken him by surprise and he was forced to admit to himself that it had taken him a considerable amount of time to finally push her away._

 _"What do you mean 'what am I doing'? I know what I want now…"_

 _Blaise blinked, rubbing his forehead as he processed the meaning behind her words._

 _"Look, Hermione, I don't think that you're in your right mind, right now. I don't think that you've thought this through properly-."_

 _"Oh, I see, so because I'm doing something that's a bit out of the ordinary for me, I **must** be under the influence of something. As if I couldn't possibly make this decision while sane," she interrupted._

 _Blaise huffed and gave her a look._

 _"That's not what I meant and you know it."_

 _"When have I ever failed to think anything through, Blaise? This is what I want," Hermione said, stepping towards him._

 _Blaise sighed, looking down at her and forcing himself to push out any imaginative scenarios that his mind had concocted upon hearing those last five words. Of course, he'd thought about it. He was a guy! However, he had found himself thinking about it more and more the more he got to really know the curly haired Gryffindor._

 _"I'm not the kind of guy that you want, believe me."_

 _Hermione swallowed, acknowledging the possible truth in his words. They were in the midst of dark and dangerous times, and Hermione was no fool. She knew who his best friend was and knew what sort of extracurricular activities said friend's family participated in. She suddenly shook her head._

 _"Oh, get over yourself…" his eyes widened "…I don't want anything like **that** from you. I just want this…right here and right now," Hermione clarified, grabbing his pristine white shirt and pulling him closer. _

_Blaise would be lying if he said that her bold behavior didn't turn him on. He shook his head, reaching out and placing his hands onto her shoulders._

 _"Look-."_

 _"Seriously? Is there something wrong with me that even **you** won't sleep with me?"_

 _Blaise had begun to immediately disagree and calm her worries when her emphasis on a certain word caught his attention. He stopped short, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out if he should be offended._

 _"Wait…what is that supposed to mean?"_

 _"Oh, come off it. You're just as bad as your fair haired sidekick when it comes to **that**. As you can imagine, it's hurting my pride a little here. I mean, I consider myself a pretty good judge of appearance and I don't think I'm **bad** looking-."_

 _"Of course not."_

 _"Then what's the problem?"_

 _At this point, they both could agree that his refusal was getting a little ridiculous. Hermione was beginning to have a hard time believing that the problem wasn't her._

 _Blaise, on the other hand, was reprimanding himself for turning down a beautiful girl who was more than willing. Malfoy and Nott would have a field day with this. He reprimanded himself even more for what he was about to say._

 _"Granger…," he began._

 _"Great. I'm about to get a lecture," she complained, recognizing that tone._

 _"Look, don't quote me on this and if you ever repeat this, I'll hurt you," he jokingly threatened as he looked into her eyes._

 _He sighed._

 _"You're…you're the kind of girl that you bring home to mum and dad. You're the kind of girl you get flowers and candy for. The kind that you go all out for because she's way out of your league and could do so much better than you and you both know it. You are the kind of girl that you spend a ridiculous amount of time giving yourself a pep talk for because you don't want to look like a bumbling idiot while you ask her out on a date…"_

 _Hermione swallowed, taken back by his honesty._

 _"You're the kind of girl that you could only dream would take you seriously enough to give you a chance. Girls like you are hard to come by. Girls like you are the kind of girls that you hold onto for dear life because there are already dozens of guys just waiting for you to screw it up…"_

 _Blaise frowned._

 _"You're not the kind of girl that you shag at the top of the Astronomy Tower."_

 _Hermione sighed, closing the distance between them completely and gazing up at him._

 _"Who says I can't be both?"_

 _Blaise swallowed._

 _"Hermione…"_

 _"I like that that's how you see me. I do, it's sweet, but…right now, tonight, I don't want to be that kind of girl. Do you want to know why?"_

 _Blaise reluctantly nodded and she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck._

 _"Doing what's been expected of me…or rather, waiting on what's been expected of me, has gotten me nowhere. I don't want to wait any longer. I want to go after what I want and you are what I want."_

 _She felt Blaise's hand settle on her waist, sending shivers down her spine._

 _"Are you sure?"_

 _Hermione suddenly blinked, dropping her arms and grabbing his arm. She began to push his sleeve up and Blaise didn't stop her. Hermione released a breath that she didn't know she was holding as she gazed at his bare, unmarked skin._

 _"Did you find what you were looking for?"_

 _His quiet husky voice filled her ears, warming her insides and she looked back up at him._

 _"Yes, I did."_

 _The words had barely escaped her lips when Blaise's own came crashing down._

* * *

Hermione stood at the entrance of the infirmary, eyes trained on Blaise's unconscious figure. She had told her friends that she needed some solitary study time, but she had to come see him. As she stepped into the large room, her eyes found Malfoy's bed across from Blaise. She swallowed, noting that even in sleep, he still looked menacing.

Hermione forced herself to close her eyes as she remembered how, for a moment, it had looked as if Malfoy wasn't going to stop. She wondered what on earth could have triggered such anger between the two of them and prayed that it wasn't her. Of course, she knew that that was just silly.

She stopped beside Blaise's bed, looking down at him with a sigh. Madam Pomfrey had done an excellent job, but Hermione could almost still see the pain that Blaise was in, and she wasn't just talking about physical. Malfoy was a right git, always was, but he was still Blaise's best friend.

Her eyes widened when Blaise groaned and she leaned in closer as his eyes began to flutter. He groaned again, exhaling before his eyes remained open, resting on her. He stared at her for a bit, frowning.

"Are you really here," he asked, mumbling.

Her quiet response was immediate.

"Yes."

"Good, because I have a bone to pick with you," he said, chuckling.

Hermione sighed in relief, taking his humor as a good sign.

"I get to go first."

He sighed, briefly closing his eyes before whispering;

"Deal."

Hermione swallowed, eyebrows furrowing.

"Blaise…if this… _that_ ," she gestured towards Malfoy "had anything to do with me, I promise… _I promise_ on Godric Gryffindor's grave that I will wait for you to fully heal just so I can kick your ass all over again myself," she whispered.

Blaise let out a long sigh, expecting no less.

"Well…you better start getting your foot ready, then."

"Blaise," she whined.

"What? **What?** What would you have had me do? Did you want me to just stand there and listen to-," he cut himself off, working himself up all over again.

Hermione frowned, wondering what Malfoy had said to trigger such a reaction from Blaise. He wasn't a temperamental guy, not by a longshot. The few times she'd seen him angry, it was always a calm, simmering sort of fury. The kind that _really_ scared you.

"What did he say? What happened?"

Blaise shook his head, looking away.

"It doesn't matter," he quietly replied.

Hermione's eyes bulged.

" _It doesn't matter?_ The fact that you two were trying to kill each other with your fists and not your wands clued me in on the fact that whatever happened, was serious. I thought…"

Hermione blinked, shaking her head as she glanced away, forcing the tears back.

"It didn't look like Malfoy was going to stop. If I hadn't stepped in-."

"Yeah, about that… What the hell were you thinking? Did you suddenly lose your mind, approaching him like that," Blaise harshly whispered.

Hermione's head swung to face him, incredulity splashed across her features. Blaise didn't care, he was still heated about her putting herself in danger like that.

"What was I supposed to do, Blaise? No one, I mean, _no one_ was doing anything! They were too scared and with good reason."

"It was stupid!"

Hermione scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. Blaise suddenly took a deep breath and sat up, Hermione reached out to help him, but he held up his hand. His jaw ticked and he finally turned to look at her, eyes hard.

"Why didn't you tell me about what really happened in my room the other day?"

Hermione froze, throat going dry as her mind came up with all sorts of lies Malfoy could have told him.

"What? What did he say? Whatever he told you, Blaise…it's…it's not true," she protested.

He sighed, reaching his hand out to intertwine his fingers with her own.

"He told me what he tried to do, accompanied by him spewing how you weren't special and…a whole bunch of other things I'd rather not repeat," he whispered, eyes hardening even more.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, shocked that Malfoy had actually told the truth. She looked down, biting her lip as she recalled the feel of Malfoy's body on top of her own. Malfoy had been right, there was nothing special about her. She was just like the rest. She mentally shook the memory from her head.

"Well?"

She slowly looked up, confused.

"Well what?"

"Did he prove his point?"

Hermione's eyes widened and she immediately shook her head.

"Of course not. He's an arrogant tosser who's convinced that every girl who walks these corridors wants him. It doesn't seem to matter to him if it's conscious or not," she spat.

Blaise eyed her, skeptical. He was skeptical about a lot of things lately, the conversation with Draco still playing on a loop in his mind.

"So you felt…nothing?"

"No. Even if I did, what would it matter? He's…an ass," she scoffed, glaring over her shoulder at the topic of their conversation.

"That doesn't seem to stop most girls."

"Well, I'm not most girls," she replied, facing him.

"No, I guess you're not," he said, rubbing his thumb along the skin of her hand.

Hermione suddenly sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. Blaise's hand immediately found her back, rubbing circles.

"I can't believe that I'm about to say this, but…you and Malfoy are best friends. You've grown up together, you understand each other. Somehow, someway, he's a good friend to you. At least, he was until I came along-."

"No. Don't do that. Hermione-."

"He was here first. He clearly has a problem with me and I don't want any more fights. I don't want to be the reason-."

" _He's_ the reason, not you."

Blaise could see exactly where her mind was headed and he didn't like it.

"Blaise…I'm _temporary_. Okay? Malfoy has loved throwing that in my face and every time hurt more than the last because it's true. _This_ …"

Hermione shook her head, throwing her hand up.

"You really want to let go of a friendship for something we both know has an expiration date?"

"So you're what, just giving up? Letting him win?"

Blaise's voice was icy and she turned to face him, placing her hand on his arm.

"No, of course not. It's not about who wins, Blaise. If the two of you continue like this, then no one wins. I just think that friendship is really important. I think I should distance myself for a bit, let you two work whatever this is out. If you come to the conclusion that I'm the problem, then I'm okay with that," she said.

"I'm not," he snapped.

"Blaise," she sighed.

His hand tightened on her waist, almost painfully.

"No. He is the only one with a problem. He either needs to get over it…or get lost," he firmly stated.

Hermione wasn't convinced that it was going to be that easy, but she didn't tell him that.

* * *

"I still want to know what in Merlin's name they were fighting about," Ginny said, stabbing her food.

"You and the rest of the student body. They've been practically inseparable since…well, forever," Ron agreed.

"Mm…," Ginny set her fork down "…how much do you want to bet that it was over some girl? Guys are always fighting over stupid things like that."

Ron scoffed, offended by the insult to his gender.

"Zabini and Malfoy are both wankers who've had just about every girl in this school. I doubt there's one girl in this entire school they'd actually like enough to fight over. Knowing them, they'd probably just share her."

Hermione choked on her drink, but the siblings didn't notice. Harry was absent, something that was becoming quite common lately.

"That does sound more likely."

"You girls love that whole 'dangerous, bad boy' thing…," Ron scoffed again, shaking his head "…so it's definitely believable that one of you would willingly get in between _that_."

Ginny smirked.

"Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?"

Ron blanched.

"N-no! I just don't see the appeal with guys like that. I mean…what's so special about them?"

Ginny chuckled.

"It's the allure of danger, Ron. Back me up here, Hermione," Ginny joked.

Hermione was already grabbing her back, pushing her plate away. The conversation had definitely weirded her out and she didn't want to hear anymore.

"I'd love to, but I actually need to go to the library, so I'll see you both later," she rushed out.

The two redheads reluctantly waved goodbye, confused by her abrupt departure.

Hermione on the other hand was making her way down the empty corridor, mind replaying the conversation on repeat. If only they knew how accurate their guess had been. Of course, the fight wasn't over her in _that_ way. Malfoy felt threatened by her for whatever reason and Hermione had long given up on trying to figure out why. She just knew how determined he was to see her gone. The lengths he'd gone to…

Hermione shook her head as she recalled the incident that had taken place in Blaise's room. It worried her to know that Malfoy was able to have that sort of effect on her. To be perfectly honest, it was something that she had never considered. She had always just assumed that she could never see him in that way. In her mind, if you despised someone, it just wasn't possible to be attracted to them. _Why does that sound more ridiculous the more I repeat it?_

She slowly looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and they both slowed as they made eye contact.

Brown and silver clashed.

Hermione swallowed and was just about to walk around him when he shoved past her, almost knocking her over. She huffed, spinning around, hair flying as she called out to him, officially fed up.

"What is wrong with you? Just…get it out. Get it all off of your chest because your behavior passed childish weeks ago-."

"My problem is you, Granger," he spat as he rounded on her.

Hermione clenched her jaw, standing her ground as he approached. His open coat flew behind him and his nostrils flared.

"I spent _years_ trying to best you, only to get lecture after lecture from my father about how I was letting a Muggle-born beat me," he hissed.

Hermione's eyes widened.

"You and your _fucking_ sidekicks have run around this school for years like you own it, getting away with everything. Winning the House Cup year after fucking year…"

He took a step forward and Hermione took one back.

"Potter constantly getting praise! For what? For breaking rule after rule? _You have everything!_ "

Hermione jumped, back bumping into the wall.

"…but that wasn't enough. Now, you've taken my best friend too," he scoffed.

Hermione opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. His answer had been…unexpected to say the least. She clutched her bag to her shoulder, looking up at him from beneath her lashes, suddenly seeing him in a new light.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I don't want your pity-."

"It's not… Malfoy, I never meant to-."

"I don't care. You could have fucked anyone else in this entire school and you chose Blaise."

Hermione frowned, wondering if she was imagining the bitterness she heard there. She shook the ridiculous thought from her head.

"Look, I said I was sorry-," she cut herself off with a gasp.

Malfoy grabbed her arm, yanking her closer.

"If you think that's going to be enough, then you don't know me very well. The prick actually chose you over me," he said, disbelieving.

"Don't call him that! He's still your friend, Malfoy. Nothing is going to change that. I told him…I told him that-."

"Oh, you mean in the infirmary? Yeah, I know. I heard it all," he said, lowering his voice.

Hermione's eyes widened and he chuckled, stepping closer.

"I even heard you lie to him," he purred, pressing his hands against the wall beside her head.

Hermione pressed her hand against his chest, pushing him away.

"What are you talking about?"

He chuckled again, a low husky sound and he looked at her through his hair. He leaned in even more, lips next to her ear.

"Come on, Granger. We both know that you felt _something_."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest when someone else beat her to it.

"Draco! Just what the fuck are you doing?"

Malfoy smirked, slowly backing away as he raked his eyes over her just before resting them on Blaise.

"Nothing. We were just talking…"

Blaise had finally reached them and reached out to shove Malfoy.

"Blaise, stop…," Hermione said, grabbing his arm.

"What's your problem, Draco?"

Malfoy sneered, glaring at Blaise.

"I don't have a problem. I just don't like your girlfriend, is all," he spat between clenched teeth.

Blaise stared at him for a considerable amount of time before his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Funny…it doesn't look that way to me," he slowly replied.

Malfoy blinked before he scoffed, shoving his hand into his pocket and taking a step back.

"I don't really care how it looks to you, Blaise. You two have fun," he sneered, shoving past Blaise's shoulder.

Blaise turned to stare after Malfoy, a peculiar expression on his face. Hermione touched his arm and he turned back around.

"What was that about?"

Blaise looked thoughtful, but he shook his head nonetheless.

"Nothing. Let's go," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

As they walked down the corridor, Hermione looked over his arm, eyes connecting with Malfoy's who was glaring right back at them.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A filler chapter, basically.**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

"Well, look who finally decided to show his face," Ginny said with a mocking smile.

Harry rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish expression on his features as he walked towards them.

"Yeah, thanks for letting us know that you weren't dead, mate," Ron agreed, talking around his food.

Hermione said nothing, simply letting her eyes rest on him, trying to deduce if he had continued with his little scheme of following Malfoy around. Harry's eyes met hers before he quickly looked away and Hermione pursed her lips, sitting back in her seat, having known all she needed to know.

She stabbed at her food, quite harshly, catching the attention of Ron.

"Oi! It's already dead, Mione."

She glanced up at him with a glare before sighing, dropping her fork.

"So, what have you been up to lately, Harry? We're lucky if we even catch a glimpse of you," she snidely said.

Harry sat down, fidgeting in his seat.

"Nothing really. Mostly schoolwork…," he trailed off.

Hermione knew that he was lying and Harry knew that she knew. Neither one of them said anything in response to his bogus answer, and Hermione simply sighed, allowing Ginny and Ron's conversation to flow over her. Hermione unconsciously found her eyes slowly drifting towards the Slytherin table, disappointed, yet again, to find it empty of the one she was looking for.

Since their run-in with Malfoy earlier in the week, Blaise had been distant all of a sudden. At first, Hermione had figured that he'd simply heeded her advice and had decided to try and work things out with Malfoy. However, as the number of days grew and the amount of time that she spent with him decreased, she began to worry.

She had begun to wonder if she was right in her assumption in thinking that Malfoy would make Blaise choose. On the other hand, another part of her, a much darker and mocking part, told her that Blaise blamed her for his deteriorating friendship with Malfoy. She worried that he was beginning to resent her, already regretting his choice.

Like the Gryffindor that she was, she was going to confront him of the matter, thinking it best to just get it over and done with. That was the plan, anyway, but she'd hardly seen enough of Blaise to actually get the words out. Hermione exhaled, lowering her head and massaging her temples.

"Harry, did you ever get out of those plans you already had? We'd really love for you to join us at Hogsmeade tomorrow," Ginny suddenly said.

"As a matter of fact, I did. It's the first Hogsmeade trip of the school year. I decided that I didn't want to miss it," he replied with a small smile.

Hermione, no doubt, would have beamed at hearing this, at hearing that he'd opted out of whatever secret 'solo mission' he had, but instead her eyes were on a certain Slytherin. He'd been eating with Nott, Parkinson on the other side of him, when he abruptly stood, exiting the hall at a brisk pace. Hermione found herself suddenly rising.

"I need to go to the bathroom," she rushed out, following him out.

Her friends stared after her, Ron voicing what they all were thinking.

"She's been doing that a lot lately…"

It wasn't a difficult task, following Malfoy, but she had figured she would have more time to think of how she was going to approach him. Of course, she didn't count on him approaching her first.

She rounded the corner and came face to chest with none other than the devil himself. She stumbled back, startled, and looked up at him.

His eyes were hard as he glared down at her, one eyebrow raised, a silent question of 'just what the fuck do you think you are doing?' She pressed the palm of her hand to the wall, steadying herself as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I…I was hoping to catch up with you…," she quietly began.

He said nothing, simply allowing a smirk to fall over his lips.

"Blaise…has he talked to you?"

His smirk grew, no doubt in amusement of her putting aside her pride to come to him. If only she knew how far off her assumption was. If only she knew of the thoughts that were really running through his head.

"Maybe," he finally replied.

Hermione forced herself to not fly off the handle. She briefly closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath.

"Look, I just wanted to know if he's been talking to you. I wanted-."

"You mean you wanted to know why he's suddenly not wrapped up in you as always. Is that correct?"

Hermione swallowed, refusing to even dignify such an accusation with a response. Her silence, however, was all of the evidence that Malfoy needed.

Hermione scoffed, taking a step back.

"Don't be absurd. I'm just worried…"

"Worried about him? Or worried that your expiration date is approaching sooner than you would like?"

His words came out harsh and mocking, making her flinch at the truth behind them. Her hands balled into fists at her side.

"Merlin, why do you _always_ have to be such an ass, Malfoy?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"…because I can be," was his reply.

Hermione huffed, and with a shake of her head, she turned around, opting to just forget about it. She wasn't sure what she had been hoping to accomplish, anyway. She'd thought that since it was obvious how much Blaise actually meant to the both of them, Malfoy would actually cooperate.

She was halted in her tracks by a firm grip on her arm. She looked up in confusion, noting the look of exasperation on his face.

"He's usually in his room about this time," he finally said.

Hermione blinked, before quickly nodding, his words finally registering.

"Thank you," she quietly replied, slightly shocked that he'd actually helped her.

He ran his eyes over her, grip still tight before he frowned, abruptly letting her go.

* * *

"Knock, knock," Hermione cautiously said, creeping his door open.

Blaise looked up in surprise before he sent her a small smile as he rose from the bed. She closed the door behind her just as he reached her.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

Did Hermione imagine the slight disappointment she heard in his voice? She cleared her throat, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"A little birdie told me where to find you. Everything alright?"

She reached out towards him and Blaise waved the question off with a chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine…"

Hermione frowned.

"Really…because…I've kind of gotten the feeling that you've been avoiding me," she quietly replied.

Blaise's heart sank at the question swirling within her eyes, questioning his intentions, his feelings. He grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him before sitting on the edge of the bed. She sank down next to him.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention…"

 _Liar_ , he thought.

"I've just been thinking about a lot of things lately."

"Malfoy," she guessed.

He nodded and Hermione didn't know whether to feel happy or worried.

"So you _have_ been talking to him?"

Blaise rubbed his forehead, looking incredibly defeated all of a sudden.

"Yeah, we're…we're trying to find some common ground," he said, looking away.

"Well, that's good…"

"I suppose. We're still… _discussing_ some details," he said with a sigh.

Hermione nodded.

"Is it safe to assume that you won't be going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

Blaise frowned.

"Is that tomorrow? I completely forgot… I hope that you weren't expecting-."

"Oh! No, not at all. I'm going with Ron, Ginny, and Harry tomorrow, anyway. I was just curious…if I would see you there," she quietly replied, squeezing his hand.

He shook his head, standing, pulling her up with him.

"No, I have some homework that I haven't even started on yet…," he trailed off.

Hermione got the feeling that she was being dismissed.

"Okay," she said, taking the hint and walking towards the door.

"Hermione…"

She turned around, lips immediately connecting with his for a brief moment.

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad that you're so adamant about preserving my friendship with Draco," he whispered.

"I'm not that kind of girl. He's your friend, not mine, therefore, you are the one who has to live with him," she said with a chuckle.

He joined in, kissing her one more time.

"Have fun tomorrow…"

* * *

"Katie, you don't know what it could be…!"

These words faintly reached Hermione's ears, the rest of the conversation ahead of her unintelligible. Hermione trotted along the snow covered path, Ron prattling to Harry about something or another behind her. She was glad that she'd gone to Hogsmeade, relieved to finally relax after what seemed like forever. It felt good to take her mind off of Malfoy and Blaise's confusing behavior…

She let out a blissful sigh, slowing down and turning her head towards her companions. Ginny had hooked up with Dean a while back, leaving them for her beau. Hermione couldn't blame her, really. She raised her arms, allowing them to fall over Harry and Ron's shoulders, pulling them closer.

She was just about to comment on what a lovely time she'd had, when a blood-curdling scream reached her ears. They all paused on the spot, looking up in horror at the sight of Katie Bell's prone figure on the ground.

"I warned her! I warned her not to touch it," her friend cried, who Hermione recalled to be named Leanne.

The three of them were next to Leanne now, watching as Katie's body was drag from side to side, then…

At once, Katie rose into the air... gracefully, her arms outstretched, as though she was about to fly. Yet there was something wrong, something eerie...

Her hair whipped her by the fierce wind, but her eyes were closed and her face was quite empty of expression...

Then, six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream. Her eyes flew open but whatever she could see, or whatever she was feeling, was clearly causing her terrible anguish. She screamed and screamed...

Hermione watched in a mix of horror and confusion as the girl suddenly fell to the ground, body hitting it with an alarming sound.

"Don't get any closer…"

A familiar voice sternly said, and Hermione turned to see Hagrid coming towards them.

"Get back, all of you."

They all were more than happy to move out of his way, allowing the tall half giant to come through. Hagrid picked the young girl up and Hermione found herself following Harry's movements as he approached the piece of jewelry on the ground. Hagrid's voice rang out, stopping him:

"Do not touch that…"

* * *

"…and he just blurts out that Malfoy did it. I've humored him, you know? Anyone can easily see why he would believe Malfoy to be one of them, now. It isn't exactly farfetched…"

Hermione ranted as she paced the room.

"…but to accuse Malfoy of something like _this_? Without any evidence to back it up? I swear, sometimes he just doesn't think!"

"You know how Harry can be, Hermione. He's not always a thinker…he's been known to be quite impulsive at times," Ginny said, trying to soothe the irritated girl.

"He just spewed it out right there, in front of McGonagall _and_ Snape. What would make him think Malfoy is even capable of such a thing? Following in daddy's footsteps is one thing, but _attempted murder_? The necklace was cursed, Ginny…"

Hermione spun around, facing the younger girl.

"Cursed! It was meant for Professor Dumbledore. Whoever was behind it clearly had one intention and one intention only. The fact that Harry's mind immediately conjures up Malfoy is just mind boggling to me. It's completely clouding his judgement. You can't just go around accusing people of things like that all willy-nilly…"

Ginny sighed.

"He's just trying to find someone to blame… You know how much Professor Dumbledore means to Harry. Someone tried to kill him, that's bound to stir up a number of questionable emotions and thoughts."

Hermione sighed too, understanding Ginny's defense. Ginny suddenly stood from the bench, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"I've got to go. Try not to be too hard on him, eh, Hermione?"

Hermione reluctantly nodded, waving her off. She exhaled, reaching up to rub her forehead when hands were suddenly on her arms. She opened her eyes in fright, almost screaming before her shoulders sagged with relief.

"Are you _trying_ to send me into an early grave," she asked as Blaise pulled her into a secluded alcove.

Blaise completely ignored her attempt at humor, looking around before settling his eyes on her.

"Are you alright?"

Hermione frowned in confusion at the extreme worry she heard in his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine. You didn't scare me _that_ -."

"No. I heard about Hogsmeade…about Katie Bell," he frantically interrupted.

Hermione's frown deepened. How did he know?

"Who told _you_?"

It had only happened less than two hours ago and she had _just_ told Ginny. Blaise ran his hands up and down her arms, shaking his head.

"I heard it from some fifth year. Probably someone who knows Katie… That's not the point. Are you okay? You didn't touch it, did you?"

"No, of course not…"

Blaise wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose into her hair. His grip tightened and Hermione got the distinct feeling that he'd actually been fearful for her life. He exhaled, an exasperated sound before pulling away.

"Are _you_ okay? You seem more worried than I was…," she said with a chuckle.

He blew out another breath, the irritation in the action evident.

"Yes. I just…fucking idiot," he spat.

Hermione got the feeling that she was missing something.

"Blaise…"  
He held a hand up.

"Forget it. I just…I needed to make sure that you were okay," he said.

"Yes, I'm fine. A little disturbed, but nothing that a few good nights of sleep shouldn't be able to fix," she replied.

He grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips.

"Good. I was really worried," he mumbled against her skin, looking at her with those puppy dog eyes.

"I could tell," she said, chuckling.

"I'm sorry about being so distant lately…"

Hermione swallowed.

"It's okay…," she replied in a small voice.

"No, it's not. I've missed you and…the next time we're alone…"

Hermione bit her lip as his voice dropped.

"I want to try something a little new," he proposed.

Hermione found herself blushing.

"New? Define new…," she said, a bit cautious.

Blaise's experience surpassed hers by a longshot, making her a little more than self-conscious at times. However, she had learned to trust him in the bedroom, allowing him to open her mind and introduce her to things she always found herself enjoying, anyway.

"It's a surprise."

"Blaise, you know that I am not fond of surprises," she responded.

He pulled her closer, lips brushing her own.

"Humor me…"

"Blaise…"

"You don't have anything against blindfolds, do you?"

Hermione's heart fluttered, remembering the last time they'd used one. Blaise knew the answer that question.

"No," she said, defeated.

He grinned.

"Alright. I've never done something that I didn't think you would like…"

"No, you haven't," Hermione agreed.

"…and you trust me, don't you?"

"When it comes to that? Yes…"

"See? There's nothing to be worried about… I promise, you won't be disappointed."

He pulled away, throwing her a sly smile, which she returned. She waved to him in goodbye, a fond smile on her lips.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm going to try and update again tonight, so, stay tuned!**

 **I did say that THE chapter was going to happen somewhere from Ch. 10 - Ch. 13, and this is Ch. 9 so... If you came to this chapter for threesomes, you're going to be disappointed. This is more of a filler chapter, the calm before the storm, so to speak.**

 **In addition, I love all of the reviews, but if you're not a fan of Blaise or just menage a trois/threesome couples/stories in general, then this might not be the story for you. Dramionaise is going to be end game. I'm not trying to put anyone off of the story, but the warnings were there. I just don't want anyone getting their hopes up for something that isn't going to happen. I only have one OT3 guys, and this is it. This story is my OT3 baby.**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

"…and where is Ron?"

Harry rolled his eyes, throwing his bag onto the table.

"He's caught up with Lavender, for the moment. Besides, it doesn't matter, anyway. I can always fill him in later," Harry answered.

Hermione sighed, reluctantly pulling out a chair and sitting down. Harry had said that it was important and she had believed him. However, she was starting to suspect as to what this meeting was about and if she was right, which she hoped to Merlin that she wasn't, she was going to be highly irritated.

Harry could easily guess as to what she was thinking, so he decided to just dive right into it…

"The necklace that Katie Bell had was meant for-."

"Oh, for Godric's sake, Harry!"

"Just hear me out," he snapped.

Hermione leaned back in her chair with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest, staring him down. She reluctantly decided to listen, his tone holding no room for argument at the moment. Harry was determined to make her see reason…

"Remember Borgin and Burkes?"

"Yes," Hermione answered with a sigh.

She remembered it all too well actually. It was the moment that Harry had been convinced that Malfoy was officially one of them now, a Death Eater, like his father.

"It was definitely an initiation of sorts, I'm certain of it now. Think about it, what's the biggest threat to Voldemort?"

"You," Hermione answered without hesitation.

"…and who else?"

"Dumbledore," Hermione answered.

"Exactly! The main thing standing in between Voldemort and total control of Hogwarts and the Ministry is Dumbledore. If he was taken care of, if Dumbledore was no longer a threat, one of Voldemort's biggest obstacles would be gone…"

Harry reached into his bag, pulling out a book and flipping it open. Hermione hesitantly took it from his outstretched hand.

"I knew that necklace looked familiar, Hermione. Four years ago, I mistakenly went to Borgin and Burkes instead of Diagon Alley. The label on it said that it was cursed and that it had claimed the lives of nineteen, _nineteen_ Muggle owners. I talked to Katie…"

"Is she feeling better?"

"Much. She said that she didn't remember how she acquired the necklace, only that she _needed_ to take it to Professor Dumbledore."

Hermione glanced up, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach. She had heard that it was meant for Dumbledore, but the fact that Katie had clearly been _Imperiused_ to deliver it to him specifically…

"It's not a coincidence, Hermione. It just can't be. What better way to infiltrate the school than to start turning _students_ into Death Eaters? We both know that if we had to guess the first prospect…"

"…it would be Malfoy," Hermione quietly finished.

"Voldemort isn't going to just let Malfoy glide through the ranks, no matter what his last name is. Even more so now that his father was caught at the Department of Mysteries. He's going to test him somehow and I'm willing to bet that taking care of Dumbledore is it."

Once the incident with the necklace was factored in, it _did_ make sense, and it wasn't even a stretch. Hermione sighed, putting the book down.

"So what do you plan to do? Surely, you aren't going to follow him forever…"

"What else can I do, Hermione? Besides, it won't be forever. It'll just be long enough to be proven right. I just need to get enough evidence, _something, anything_ …"

Hermione heaved another sigh, a rather heavy one this time.

"Harry, I've said this before, and I'll say it again. This isn't safe. Especially now with the whole thing with the necklace. If what you're saying is true, then he's already made the first attempt on his life. How do you see that going over, you getting in the way?"

"I don't care, Hermione. I'm not just going to sit back and do nothing," Harry hissed, frustrated that she didn't appear to be fulling grasping what was at stake.

"Don't give me that look, Harry Potter. I'm just trying to find a way of doing this without you getting yourself killed," she replied.

Harry stood up, grabbing his belongings.

"You just leave that to me," he said, leaving Hermione behind with a bundle of nerves to deal with.

* * *

Hermione walked out of class, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Malfoy walked ahead of her, disappearing into the crowd. Ron and Harry were a ways behind her, locked in conversation. She slowed her pace as Ginny pushed herself away from the wall, falling into step beside Hermione with a grin.

She noticed the forlorn look on the other witch's face.

"Why the long face?"

Hermione lightly shook her head, fingers curling around the strap of her bag.

"Class was…odd today," was Hermione's reply.

Ginny chuckled.

"How so?"

Hermione stopped with a slight scoff, disbelief lacing the action. She shook her head again, curls flying around her face.

"Malfoy didn't say one word to me throughout the entire class," Hermione wondered.

Ginny wasn't following.

"That's…bad?"

"Ginny, it was more than that. He didn't even acknowledge my existence, it's like I wasn't even there."

"Hermione…that's a good thing," Ginny said with a chuckle as if she were talking to a child.

"If you had told me that at the beginning of the year, I would have wholeheartedly agreed. Not so much now…"

"Care to explain?"

"Ginny, he's been a complete tosser since school began…"

Hermione definitely wasn't going to go into detail as to why. As far as her friends knew, he was just being his normal awful self, per usual.

"…now, all of a sudden, I'm not even here? It's like he did a complete one-eighty overnight. That definitely warrants some concern, wouldn't you agree?"

Ginny did reluctantly have to agree with Hermione. It was very uncharacteristic of him…

"There's this old saying, Hermione. It goes along the lines of; don't look a gift horse in the mouth. If Malfoy is giving you some reprieve, snatch it up. Be grateful that the git has something else on his mind for once," Ginny replied.

Hermione exhaled, finding logic in Ginny's advice. Was she actually complaining that Malfoy wasn't verbally torturing her? Still, it wasn't like him, but then again, maybe Ginny was right.

If what Harry said was true, then Malfoy would have a lot on his mind for the moment. His first attempt on Dumbledore's life was a failure and Hermione imagined that Malfoy had some sort of time limit.

Hermione threw her hands up, conceding.

"You're right. I should take advantage of this breather that I've been unexpectedly given," Hermione said.

"Exactly! Go make out with your…" Ginny leaned in, whispering "… _secret lover_."

Hermione chuckled, and Ginny looked around, satisfied the corridor had thinned out some, meaning that no one was within listening range.

"So…how _are_ things with him?"

Hermione sighed, clutching her bag even tighter. Ginny was able to read the older girl like an open book.

"I take it that there's a long story behind that look," Ginny guessed.

Hermione nodded before suddenly glancing around and grabbing Ginny's arm.

"Let's go to the lake…"

* * *

Ginny scoffed in a mixture of disgust and disbelief.

"I can't believe he said that to you. I can't believe that he said any of that to you. What I find even more disbelieving is that you're actually encouraging your boy toy to reconcile with this _jerk_!"

Hermione sighed, leaning against the tree. She had told Ginny everything, minus the 'who' part of course, as well as certain details that would make the 'who' quite obvious. Ginny was currently pacing, hair flying behind her like a flame, matching her anger.

"I already told you…"

"Yes, I know!"

Ginny shook her head at Hermione in disbelief.

"I get it, the whole friendship thing, believe me. I understand that they've been friends for a really long time, and I get that you're new to the equation, but Hermione… At what point do you draw the line? At what point has the line been crossed?"

Ginny faced Hermione now, hands on her hips as she gazed at her friend.

Hermione briefly closed her eyes.

"I already told you…it's so complicated… He and I…it isn't going to last. You were right… He's a Slytherin and right now, that actually equates to possible danger. I just don't agree with throwing away a friendship for something that isn't permanent, anyway. Both he and I know that we have an expiration date," Hermione explained.

Ginny sighed, shoulders slumping.

"This is so tragic. Never mind the fact that you won't tell me who it is, it's just sad. To make matters worse, his friend-," Ginny suddenly cut herself off.

Ginny's eyes widened as everything Hermione told her began to replay in her head.

Hermione frowned in confusion, staring at Ginny as the younger witch paused.

"What?"

"Dear Godric, how did I miss this? How did _you_ miss this?"

Hermione's confusion grew and she pushed away from the tree, walking over to her.

"Ginny…what are you on about?"

Ginny slowly looked up at Hermione with a small, disbelieving smile.

"He's jealous…"

"Well, I already told you that I figured as much," Hermione replied.

"No, not of you. He's jealous of _your lover_ ," Ginny slowly explained, as if speaking to a child.

"…what?"

"He likes you."

"Who?"

"The friend."

" _The friend?_ "

 _Malfoy?_ In what world would that ever be possible? Hermione held her hands out, laughing humorlessly in disbelief.

"Gin…I think you're…way, _way_ off the mark here…"

Ginny spread her arms out.

"Hermione…everything you just told me makes so much sense now. It's one of two things. He's either been harboring some secret crush on you all these years or…"

Hermione was very interested to hear the 'or' because she found that first option incredibly hard to believe.

"…walking in on the two of you made him see you in an entirely new light. Like you said, he's never really been fond of you. I'm willing to bet that he's never even thought of you as…a _female_. Someone of the opposite sex who has needs and desires, just like him…"

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, listening in interest despite how laughable it was, considering _who_ they were talking about here. Ginny seemed to be on a roll…

Ginny began to pace.

"…if anything, all this time he's seen you as an asexual being. Maybe because it never crossed his mind? Or maybe because he would have rather not thought of you that way because of his distaste of you? Who knows…? Either way, him finding you in such a compromising position -and with his best friend, no less! - has forced him to consider things he's never thought about…"

"…not only are you now a sexual being in his mind, but a sexual being who's been shagging his best friend. That forces him to consider a number of things. One, either his best friend has awful taste or you're a really good bed fellow. He's clearly going to throw the first option out because it's his best friend! Therefore, he has to conclude that you know what you're doing in the bedroom…

"…not only that, but his best friend clearly finds you desirable. This, now, forces him to take a second look, a really good look at you, and he sees what his best friend sees. This makes him angry. Why does this make him angry? He's angry for a number of reasons…

Ginny continued.

"He's angry because despite how much he may dislike you, he now finds himself attracted to you and must admit to it. Secondly, he's angry because he knows that just because you dislike someone, doesn't mean you can't still hook up with them. You don't have to like someone in order to shag them… He's realizing his missed opportunity here. Even worse, this…," Ginny gestured to Hermione "…gem was right in front of him all along, and he didn't realize it. Now, why is this worse? I'll tell you…"

"This is the icing on the cake because his best friend noticed before he did. His best friend realized what was in front of them this entire time before he did. His best friend got to you first and he's incredibly bitter about it," Ginny finished with a proud smirk.

Hermione stared at Ginny in complete shock, mouth parted as she processed all of this. It made…sense. Oddly enough, it actually made sense, and a lot of it. However, there was one problem with this whole theory… It was Malfoy! If Ginny knew who they were talking about here, she was sure that the girl would be laughing at her theory.

Malfoy hated Hermione with a passion, and the feeling was more than mutual. He'd been so despicable towards Hermione as of late, that she could honestly say she hated him. Everything he had done and said to her had been nothing but vile and cruel, one reason standing out above the rest.

Hermione's cheeks began to grow warmer as she recalled the incident in Blaise's bedroom. To think, the lengths he had gone to that day just to prove a point, and prove a point he did. She had naively thought that if you disliked someone, it just wasn't possible to be attracted to them. It had made sense in her mind.

However, as Ginny had pointed out today, you didn't need to like someone in order to shag them. Or in Hermione's case, to be attracted to them. She hated Malfoy because he did indeed prove his point that she wasn't any better than the rest. She had been able to say that she was probably the only girl in school who didn't find him attractive, but now, that was no longer true.

Malfoy was a very good looking young man, she was loathed to admit. However, that didn't make him any less despicable. She hated him, and he hated her. There was nothing more to it…

"I appreciate your…detective work, Gin, but I'm going to have to disagree. It's just not possible," Hermione said with a shrug.

Ginny's smirk grew as she slowly walked towards Hermione.

"You watch and see, Ms. Granger. Within a month's time, those two are going to be fighting over you…"

She walked past Hermione, pausing to look over her shoulder, chuckling.

"…or conspiring to share you."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Two updates in one night!**

 **No unforgivable curses were used during the writing of this chapter.**

 **I completely forgot to put this warning here that the last scene can be classified as non-consensual. If you are easily bothered by this, I suggest skipping it.**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

Hermione watched as he spoke, Greengrass next to him, listening so intently as if he were saying something so profound. Hermione rolled her eyes, bringing her food up to her mouth and chewing in annoyance. Merlin, she hated him. How was it fair that he could torture her and make her life hell for weeks on end, and then, suddenly out of nowhere, decide that he's just going to go and live his life? As if nothing had ever happened!

Yesterday, when Ginny had told her to be relieved, she was. She was more than relieved that Malfoy seemed to be going about his business. However, she soon found herself angry. His words, as much as she hated to admit it, had a lasting effect on her. The word 'temporary' was a constant fixture in her mind, rearing its ugly head every time Blaise popped into her thoughts.

Hermione acknowledged that she didn't have much right to be upset about such a word. It was true, after all. Like she had told Ginny, she and Blaise _were_ temporary. They wouldn't, couldn't, last, and some small part of her noted that this fact made her sad. Ginny had been right. Hermione wasn't a casual kind of girl, and what she and Blaise had was far from casual. She really did like him. That was proven when he had pulled away from her a while ago, leaving her to wonder was that the end.

Still, despite all of this, it gave Malfoy no right to speak to her, and of her, in such a manner. So she was brought back to her original question. How was it fair that Malfoy's words still cut deep within her, but he got to act like he had never said them at all? There he was, shamelessly flirting with Greengrass, while she was constantly worrying about her standing with Blaise.

She almost regretted ever telling Blaise to try and reconcile with Malfoy. Almost. She wasn't that type of person, the type to break up a friendship.

She clenched her jaw, looking away in disgust as Greengrass reached up and ran her fingers through Malfoy's pale locks. Hermione could never, and would never, understand why the girls at this school seemed to worship the very ground that Malfoy walked on. He was a vile and cruel man, just like his father, but somehow all of that flew out of the window when one had a pretty face and a hefty bank account.

She'd seen the evidence with Mr. Malfoy as well. Hermione had watched as many girls fawned over the older Malfoy as if he _wasn't_ a married, racist, haughty pureblood extraordinaire who was old enough to be their father. She'd heard girls talk about both of the Malfoy men in such a manner that made Hermione ashamed to be an adolescent female.

The Malfoys were a good looking bunch, yes, but did that really make their behavior so inexcusable? Sure, Malfoy had an excellent bone structure that would put any models, male and female, to shame. He did have nice lips, she supposed, pink and shapely, something that many girls admired. His fair hair and equally light eyes did give him an otherworldly appearance, his fair skin only adding to the effect. She understood the appeal now, really, she did, but was she honestly the only girl left who valued personality?

Then again, maybe it was easy for her to say such a thing because Blaise had it all. He had the personality _and_ the looks. Not only was he incredibly caring, but he could be incredibly aggressive and assertive when the time came. In addition, Blaise was a tall, dark, and handsome guy. His brown skin and brown eyes made him look like an earth toned angel. His pearly whites always contrasted nicely whenever he smiled, more teeth showing once he knew the effect said smile had on her, making him look incredibly boyish.

Hermione smiled to herself as she recalled many girls fawning over Blaise just as much as Malfoy. She couldn't help but feel proud, end even a little smug, that he was with her. Blaise was with _her,_ and that always stomped out any jealousy she may have felt as she watched them undress him with their eyes.

She suddenly glanced to the right of Malfoy and caught Blaise staring at her. She smiled at him, any thoughts of Malfoy now gone. He returned her smile with a knowing one of his own and Hermione flushed, recalling their conversation from this morning…

* * *

 _"Why can't you just tell me now? You know I **hate** surprises," Hermione mumbled against his lips._

 _She felt Blaise smirk into the kiss and she let out a laugh as his fingers came up to dance along her ribs._

 _"…because, silly rabbit, it would no longer be a surprise. Right?"_

 _Hermione lightly sighed, pulling away and leaning against the wall. They were in a secluded corner of a deserted corridor, taking some time before they had to go to potions. She glanced at her watch, bending down to pick up her forgotten school bag._

 _"Eight o'clock," she questioned again, straightening up._

 _"Eight o'clock," Blaise confirmed, grabbing her hands and pulling her closer._

 _She suddenly leaned in, capturing his lips in a searing kiss, her tongue trespassing past his lips to entangle with his. Blaise moaned into the kiss, taken back by her boldness and he wrapped his arm around her waist before pulling away. He bit his lip as he looked at her from beneath his lashes._

 _"You don't play fair, Ms. Granger," he huskily said, chuckling._

 _"I never vowed to," she purred._

 _"If you think that kissing me like that is going to make me tell you the surprise…," he trailed off, raking his eyes over her._

 _He pushed her against the wall, trapping her with one hand on either side of her head._

 _"…then you really are the Brightest Witch of this Age."_

 _Hermione grinned, reaching out to pull him closer, but he pulled away._

 _"However, my resolve is steadfast," he said._

 _"Dang it," Hermione swore, stomping her foot like a child._

 _"You can't just be patient like a normal person?"_

 _"…no."_

 _Blaise chuckled, leaning in to kiss her cheek._

 _"By the way, I would really appreciate if you wore that little green number I bought for you," he murmured against her skin._

 _She pulled away, looking over her shoulder at him._

 _"I'm not sure you deserve that. You've been so mean to me, after all…"_

 _Blaise pressed his chest to her back, reaching up and rubbing her shoulders, lips pressing to the side of her neck as he did so._

 _"I'll make it up to you…"_

 _Hermione exhaled, walking away from him._

 _"We'll see," she called over her shoulder._

* * *

"I take it that you're seeing him tonight?"

Hermione was pulled from the memory by the sound of Ginny's quiet voice in her ear. She glanced over, noticing Ron and Harry locked into a discussion with Dean and Seamus, Lavender hanging on Ron's arm. She turned back to face Ginny, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, he says that he has a surprise…"

"See, he's trying to make up for having been so distant," Ginny assured.

"I know, I just… I'm not fond of surprises, Gin," Hermione nervously replied.

"Has he ever given you reason to worry before?"

"No, I suppose not. Plus, it's not like we haven't tried new stuff before…," Hermione trailed off.

Ginny gasped.

"Hermione, you minx," Ginny joked, playfully hitting the other girl.

Hermione flushed, looking away. Ginny gazed at her.

"You know what? Whoever this guy is…he's good for you. Despite the best friend drama, I can see that he makes you happy. I'm rooting for you two kids," Ginny seriously said.

"Ginny, please… Don't- don't say things like that. It makes me think that we could actually have a future…"

"I'm sorry. You're right… I shouldn't say things like that."

Hermione glanced up, unexpectedly catching Malfoy's eye as he emotionlessly gazed back. She looked down at her food, unable to hold his unwavering gaze, something swirling within his eyes that unnerved her.

* * *

Hermione watched in curiosity as the younger student handed Snape the small piece of parchment and exited the classroom. Snape seemed to scan over its contents before his eyes rose to briefly glance at her partner then slid over to her. Her curiosity rose when he loudly cleared his throat, disposing of the slip of paper.

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley…it would seem that Mr. Potter has landed himself in the infirmary somehow…," he began.

Hermione's eyes widened as she straightened up in her seat, her eyes connecting with Ron's equally worried ones down below.

"I'm excusing you for the rest of the class period…"

Hermione didn't hear the rest of what he said, immediately grabbing her bag and hightailing it out of class, Ron right on her heels. If Snape was letting them leave class to go and see Harry, then…

"It must be serious," Ron said, voicing her thoughts.

Hermione's swallowed, throat incredibly dry all of a sudden as her heart pounded in her chest.

"What do you think happened?"

Hermione shook her head.

"I…I don't know. I don't know, Ron…"

They made it to the infirmary in record time and wasted no time rushing inside. The first thing she noticed was Ginny beside his bed, helping him lean his head up to drink some water. Once Ginny moved out of the way to set it back on the nightstand, Hermione gasped. Ron sharply inhaled, and Ginny turned to face them, surprised. Her surprised melted away and her shoulders sagged in relief.

She stood up.

"Thank Merlin. You're here…"

Hermione rushed over, eyes raking over Harry. Harry noticed the worry and distress dancing over her face.

"It looks worse than what it is…"

"Bullocks," Hermione exclaimed, surprising everyone in the room with her foul language.

The entire right side of Harry's face was swollen, his bottom lip not faring much better. His glasses were on the bedside table, so Hermione could clearly see the nasty cut going across his nose. The rest of his body was covered up, minus the arms and Hermione noticed his bruised knuckles. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, not even wanting to imagine what the rest of him looked like.

To put it nicely, Harry looked like hell. She could tell that just breathing pained him.

"When did this happen, Harry?"

There was an awkward silence as Ginny rubbed her arm, looking down. She felt Ron's hand on her shoulder.

"Hermione, don't…"

They all knew where she was going because they all knew of Harry's genius little plan, and Hermione shook Ron's hand off. She held eye contact with Harry, staring him down, waiting for his answer.

"Last night," he sighed, conceding.

Hermione exhaled, anger rising as she recalled Malfoy's threatening words that day outside of the school.

"I knew it," she whispered.

"Hermione, I knew what I was getting myself into," Harry said.

"So that makes it right? Absolutely not! I've had enough of that spoiled brat who thinks that he can just go around doing whatever he wants, saying whatever he wants!"

"Hermione, calm down-."

"No, Ron! No, I will not calm down," she said, turning to face him.

She suddenly blinked, shaking her head before marching out of the infirmary.

"Hermione! Where are you going?"

She ignored Ron's voice, making her way back to Snape's class and paused as they were just being dismissed. She exhaled, eyes narrowing as his tall figure made its way out of the door. She could hear Ron's fast approaching footsteps and she hurried over to her blond classmate, shoving against him. Her actions took him by surprise and his back slammed against the wall, the loud sound drawing attention.

He looked down at her, jaw clenched and eyes blazing, assessing her like she was a bug.

"I know it was you!"

He scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I have no idea as to what you are referring to," he replied.

"Don't play dumb with me, Malfoy. I'm no idiot. I know it was you. I know what you did," she exclaimed.

He rolled his eyes, pushing away from the wall and moving to walk past her. She swallowed, eyes watering in anger.

"…and I'm not just talking about Harry."

She watched as he stiffened, seeming to grow taller as he straightened up before slowly turning around to face her. He tilted his head to the side, nostrils flaring as he slowly approached.

"What did you just say?"

Hermione swallowed, refusing to take a step back.

"You heard me…"

"No, I don't think that I did," he said, teeth clenched.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about-."

She gasped as he hurried towards her, backing her up against the wall. She heard Ron make a sound of protest behind him. Malfoy's upper lip curled over his teeth and he raked his eyes over her, a slow smirk making its way onto his lips. His tongue darted out to wet said lips and Hermione found her eyes unconsciously following the action. He pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth…

"Remember what I said about people who play with snakes…?"

Hermione held his gaze, heaving chest grazing his.

"Watch your back, Granger…," he purred.

His smirk grew.

"…cause I have a feeling that very soon, you're going to get bit."

He backed up, turning around and shoving past Ron as he left.

* * *

Hermione flushed as Blaise raked his eyes over her, obviously very appreciative at the moment. She grinned as he let out a pleased sigh.

"You wore it…"

"I did say that we would see. That wasn't a 'no'," she replied.

He slowly walked towards her, school shirt pulled from inside of his pants, the first three buttons undone.

"No, it wasn't, but with you…I never know," he said, smirk fully in place.

"That's part of the appeal, right?"

"Yes, mam, it is," he purred, placing his knees onto the bed and approaching her.

She chuckled as he pulled his school tie from around his neck.

"I told you-."

"You did tell me. I believed you…"

"Do you remember the last time we used this?"

Hermione chuckled again, recalling the memory, face heating up.

"How on earth can you possibly still get embarrassed after everything we've done?"

She playfully glared up at him and he smiled, leaning down to kiss her.

"You know how much I care about you…," he began, pulling away.

"I know," she said with a nod, looking up at him.

His eyebrows furrowed and he swallowed. She reached up, placing her hand on his cheek.

"…and you know that…that I would _never_ do anything that I didn't think you'd like or- or feel comfortable with…"

"Blaise, I know," she repeated, shaking her head at him.

"Right," he chuckled.

He reached up, placing his black tie over her eyes and reaching around to secure it. Hermione welcomed that uneasy, yet exciting feeling that she got whenever they did this. She heard his feet touch the floor and her head snapped in that direction. He chuckled, no doubt watching her watch him and she giggled in response.

"What are you doing, Mr. Zabini?"

Her ears tried to keep up with his movements and her head turned, trying to listen.

"Enjoying myself…"

"I think you're enjoying yourself a little too much. Come join me, you tease," she joked, patting the bed.

He let out another chuckle and she turned her head to the side as he joined her, his lips connecting with her jaw. She hummed, reaching up to trail her nails up his neck, knowing how sensitive the skin was. She felt him shudder and she smiled.

He covered her lips with his own, swallowing said smile and she moaned into his lips, clasping her hands together behind his neck. She ran her hands down his chest, moving to unbutton his shirt, when his hands clasped around her own.

"Not yet," he huskily whispered against her lips.

"You _are_ enjoying yourself a little too much…"

He snickered, pulling away from her and backing up. She grinned, following the sound of his movements and crawled towards him. He chuckled again and she stopped when her hand connected with his. She intertwined their fingers and brought his hand up to her lips, turning it over and placing a tender kiss into the palm.

She ran her hand up his arms, fingers dancing as she went, and she reached up again this time, moving to undo his shirt. He let her. She unbuttoned the first button, leaning down and placing a kiss on the exposed chest. She did this for each button that came loose and she took great pleasure in the slight tremble that wracked his frame.

She brushed her hands along his shoulders and down his arm, pushing his shirt off as she went. She leaned in to kiss him, but his index finger came up to press against her lips instead. He ran it along her bottom lip and Hermione parted them, gasping as he eased it in. The rest of his fingers pressed against one side of her jaw while the thumb pressed against the other.

He began to push her head back and Hermione let him, back connecting with the mattress. Her hair fanned around her and her chest heaved as he hovered over her frame. He pulled his hand away, fingers dancing down the expanse of her stomach and to her thighs. Her heart sped up in anticipation as his fingers hooked into the sides of her underwear.

He seemed to be taking his time, running his hands down her legs, squeezing her thighs. She shuddered when he ran his fingers over her, slightly easing them in before retreating.

She raised her face towards the ceiling and gasped when his lips suddenly connected with her. She let out a soft moan as her toes curled and she reached down to place her hands onto his head when his hands came up to clasp hers, pinning them onto the mattress next to her hips.

"Blaise," she moaned, trying to loosen his grip on her hands.

He wouldn't budge.

Hermione gasped for breath as he nipped and sucked, his tongue making her forget all about her awful day. She sucked in a breath between her teeth when he turned his head to the side and sunk his teeth into the skin of her thigh, the slight pain combining with the pleasure.

"Oh!"

He returned back to the task at hand and Hermione's back arched as he sucked, her ears ringing from the rush, hearing going in and out as she panted. Hermione normally would have said something smart, but she was too preoccupied with his hands which were currently ripping her skirt down the middle.

She grazed her fingers along his arms as her shirt fared no better and Hermione soon found her legs wrapped around his waist. She wanted to touch him, but his hands had her wrists pinned down into the mattress. She squirmed beneath him, the head of him grazing her thigh and he chuckled, a bit huskier sound than usual.

She let out an uncharacteristically loud moan, and she hissed as he began to move within her. She felt like she was being stretched more than usual and Hermione desperately wanted to touch him. He leaned down, grazing his teeth along her exposed chest and Hermione gasped as he pushed his knees forward, forcing her legs back.

"Blaise," she moaned as he slowed his pace, eyes almost rolling.

He allowed one hand free, and she dug her nails into his back as he thrusts continued. He wrapped his free arm around her back, pulling them up so that she was sitting on his lap. His fingers dug into her hip and his other hand came up to loosen the tie around her eyes. She reached her hand up, tangling it in his hair and that was when she paused.

The tie fell from around her eyes and her mouth parted, eyes widening as she took in the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy. Her heart rate tripled as she realized that she was not imagining things. She went numb, unsure of what to feel as she stared at the boy she hated while he was inside her, his arm around her waist.

Malfoy gazed back, eyes raking over her face as he ran his hand through her hair. Hermione felt an anger like no other building up inside of her, but it dissipated as soon as his lips covered hers. She was kissing Malfoy. Malfoy was kissing her. That was all that she could think about as her nails dug into his shoulders. Never mind the fact that he was currently bringing her to the brink of completion.

She leaned away, starting to pull away as his lips trailed down her neck, when a second pair of hands on her back stopped her. She jumped, but relaxed when the familiar hands rested on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he soothed, lips closing over the skin of her neck.

 _No, it's not okay_ , was what Hermione wanted to say, but Malfoy had picked up his pace, and Hermione's eyes began to roll towards the ceiling. She did her best to quiet her moans, but it was futile. They both heard her and soon she felt herself being pushed over the edge, made all the more sweeter as Blaise pulled her head back, teeth nipping at her neck.

Blaise pulled her head back further, his lips capturing hers in a kiss as Malfoy trailed his own down her stomach.

Hermione's anger had long been forgotten about as they became a mess of tangled limbs. Everything became a blur of pleasure: Blaise's tongue on her stomach, Malfoy's fingers digging into her hips, her legs wrapped around Blaise's waist, fingers tangled in Malfoy's hair.

She let out a particularly loud moan as Blaise's teeth sunk into her right thigh, Malfoy's teeth grazing the other. Through the haze of pleasure, Hermione noted that this wasn't right. A voice kept telling her that this wasn't right at all, but she kept pushing the voice to the back of her mind, especially now when Blaise eased his fingers inside of her.

One hand gripped Blaise's and the other Malfoy's as they both simultaneously pushed her over the edge…

* * *

Hermione suddenly sat up, dazed and confused as she pushed her hair out of her face. She groaned, raking her hand down her face as she forced her eyes fully open and glanced around the room. Clothes were strew everywhere and she sighed, going to lay back down when her memory came back, full force.

Her eyes landed on a toned pale back accompanied with equally pale hair, and Hermione's jaw clenched. She turned to her right, eyes narrowing at the back of Blaise's head. That anger that she had kept pushing down was back with a vengeance and Hermione clutched the sheet tighter to her chest as her vision blurred, humiliation and rage filling her like no other.

She bit her lip, throwing the sheet off of her and grabbing Blaise's shirt and what looked like Malfoy's pants, throwing them on. She hurriedly grabbed her bag, holding back a sob as she left the room, making sure to slam the door on the way out.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I had a slip of the mind and made a mistake. However, I owned up to it, apologized for it (and apologized to the reviewer themselves) , and corrected it. That is literally all I can do. Any other negative comments are just looking for a reaction. I did my part.**

 **Sorry for the A/Ns, but I have always been one to call out unnecessary behavior. Anyone who is against that is clearly new to me and my writing and can gladly leave.**

 **The last scene in this chapter was actually the first scene that I wrote for this story. I always had every intention of it ending up like this. I'm so excited!**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

Ginny's concerned face was the first thing that greeted Hermione when her door opened. Ginny had moved to say something, but Hermione's expression stopped her, her words getting caught in her throat. Ginny frowned. Something was wrong…

"Hermione…? What's wrong?"

Hermione swallowed, opening her mouth to speak when she cut herself off with a sob. She flew into Ginny's arms, wrapping her own around the younger witch, crying into her shoulder.

Hermione had never felt so angry and humiliated and sad in all her life. She wanted to spill everything, telling Ginny exactly what happened and who it had happened with, but her body would not let her. Her frame shook from the force of her tears and Ginny rested her hand on her back, rubbing small circles.

The rest of Ginny's dorm mates were asleep and the redhead looked over her shoulder, making sure that it stayed that way. She stepped out of the doorway, closing it behind her, and wrapped her arms around Hermione. She leaned against the door, holding her best friend as she cried her heart out…

* * *

"Are you up for going to class today?"

"No," Hermione simply stated, finishing the schoolwork that Ginny had been bringing to her.

Ginny sighed, biting her lip, but otherwise opting to remain quiet.

It had been three days since Hermione had shown up at Ginny's room door, looking like a nervous wreck. Ginny had inquired several times as to what had happened to cause such a scene, but each time was met with either a negative or simple silence. Ginny, however, was far from stupid. She knew that Hermione was supposed to meet with him that night and it didn't take a genius to put two and two together; something had happened between them.

Hermione finished her assignment, putting her quill down and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She swallowed, lightly sighing before looking down and playing with her fingers.

"He and I are no longer together… I figured I could at least tell you that much," Hermione suddenly said.

Ginny wasn't surprised in the least at hearing this information. She sat down beside Hermione.

"Why?"

Hermione sharply inhaled, anger filling her all over again.

"Let's just say that…he and his best friend can both go straight to hell," she spat.

Ginny's eyes widened slightly, even more curious now than ever to know what had happened.

"Did he hurt you?"

"…not physically," Hermione whispered.

"Hermione…I really don't want to push, but…you're scaring me," Ginny said.

Hermione licked her lips, jaw clenched before swallowing.

"He sold me out like a piece of meat. _That's_ what happened," Hermione hissed, looking up at Ginny.

Ginny frowned in confusion.

"I don't understand…"

Hermione let out a humorless chuckle.

"Remember what you said about them sharing me? Turns out…you were right," Hermione bitterly mumbled.

Ginny's mouth fell open in shock, quite surprised that she had, in fact, been correct in her assumption.

"Was the surprise…his friend?"

"Yeah. It gets better… I wasn't made aware of said surprise until we were already in the middle of it."

"Oh, hell no," Ginny whispered.

Every time Hermione recalled seeing Malfoy's face upon removing the blindfold, she got so incredibly angry all over again. She wanted to curse both he and Blaise to the very pits of hell. She just…she didn't understand it. Blaise knew that she was open to new things. She wasn't prude. She knew that polyamorous relationships or anything of the like were quite common in the Wizarding World. Hell, from what Ginny had told her, Fred and George had participated in the act quite often.

If Blaise had talked to her about it, she might have actually considered it. Of course, she knew exactly why he didn't do so; Malfoy. Blaise knew that she would have never agreed because of Malfoy. She hated Malfoy with a passion and Blaise knew that…

She was brought out of her thoughts by Ginny's rising figure.

"We are going to give him a piece of your mind," Ginny said.

Hermione shook her head, lips pursed.

"I'm not talking to him. I don't want to see him…probably never again," Hermione sadly whispered.

Ginny paused, suddenly sitting back down and taking Hermione's hand.

"You really did like him…," Ginny guessed.

Hermione swallowed, throat constricting and vision blurring again.

"I just feel…so betrayed. He knew how much I trusted him and he used it to his advantage, Ginny. Merlin, if I had known that _this_ was how they were going to repair their friendship, I would have just walked away…"

Ginny squeezed her hand, urging her to continue.

"I mean…I've changed a bit since becoming intimate with… _him_. I'm more open to new things now, but he knew how much I hated him. He knew how I felt about him and to think he thought that I'd actually…," Hermione trailed off with a huff.

Hermione recalled Blaise's little monologue before he had covered her eyes. He actually thought that she would _enjoy_ being with Malfoy? What a laugh! She suddenly shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. How's Harry doing?"

"Much better. He should be out and about by tomorrow… He's been asking about you," Ginny replied.

Hermione sighed, letting her head rest in her hands. She couldn't face Harry knowing that she'd had sex, and enjoyed it by the way, with the guy who did this to him. The same hands that had hurt Harry were the same ones that had been all over her. That little confession encouraged the little voice in her head that was already taunting her, mocking her other reason for her anger that she didn't even want to acknowledge.

Hermione closed her eyes, recalling how she had allowed herself give in to pleasure with the excuse of being unaware. The minute that the blindfold had come off, she had wanted to push Malfoy away from her, scream at the both of them, and leave. However, she hadn't. Instead, she had welcomed Malfoy's kiss, telling herself that the damage was already done.

Hermione's heart sunk as she acknowledged that this wasn't even the worst of it. Harry was right. Malfoy was one of them, a Death Eater. She had seen the mark on his arm, even going as far as to touch it, and it had done nothing to deter her…

* * *

Hermione clutched her book to her chest as she made her way to the infirmary. Her conversation with Ginny earlier had forced her to realize that she was being selfish. She was letting her own problems interfere with her concern for her friend. Harry had been hurt by that…that vile snake worshipper and she refused to let said man stop her from seeing about him.

She turned the corner and immediately ran into a broad figure, her book flying out of her hand. She opened her mouth to apologize when her words stopped in her throat.

She stared at Blaise as he stared at her, probably with the same expression that she was wearing. Her jaw ticked and she balled her hands into fists, bending down to get her book when he beat her to it.

"Hermione, I'm sorry!"

"I'd like that back," she said through clenched teeth.

"Not until you talk to me. _Please_ , I can't tell you how sorry I am…"

"What could I possibly have to say to you? What could we possibly have to say to each other?"

Blaise swallowed.

"Hermione…"

Hermione scoffed at the audacity and narrowed her eyes.

"Fine. Keep it," she spat, shoving past him.

"Damn it, Hermione. Here," he called.

She turned around, snatching it out of his hands and continuing on her trek. She got halfway down the corridor when she slowly stopped, the anger and the hurt and the humiliation making its way throughout her body. She slowly turned around, tears brimming her eyes…

"Is that what I am to you? Someone you can just pass around to your friends?"

Her voice barely came out above a whisper and Blaise walked towards her, swallowing.

"Of course not-."

"Really? Are you sure about that, because actions speak louder than words, Blaise, and right now, that's what your actions are telling me," she exclaimed.

Blaise looked down, frowning. He shoved his hands into his pockets, eyes troubled before looking up at her.

"I care about you so much, Hermione. You mean so much to me, but…so does Draco…"

Hermione scoffed in disbelief, not sure whether to laugh or cry.

"So…your best friend comes to you and says 'Hey, Blaise…it turns out that I want Hermione too and that's why I've been such a tosser lately' and because your relationship is just that great, because the two of you are _just that close_ , you say 'Okay, Draco. I'll see what I can work out'," she heatedly whispered.

Blaise frowned, jaw clenching.

"It wasn't like that, Hermione. That is _not_ how it went-."

"But that's exactly how it went! You didn't even discuss it with me! You put his feelings before mine," she screamed, tears skipping down her cheeks.

Blaise exhaled, briefly closing his eyes.

"You said that you were open to something new. You said…"

"Oh, don't even go there!"

"…you agreed, Hermione!"

He reached out towards her and she slapped his hands away.

" ** _Don't fucking touch me._** You knew _exactly_ what you were doing, Blaise! You left out important details for a reason. You know that I would have never agreed knowing it was Malfoy," she spat.

Blaise glared at her.

"You know how I feel about him. He's been nothing short of cruel to me, and I don't care if it was because he was harboring some feelings of his own. That will never excuse his behavior. I _hate_ him," Hermione tearfully whispered.

Blaise suddenly let out a humorless chuckled, an amused smirk gracing his lips.

"Oh, come on, Hermione. We both know that's not true…"

Hermione blanched, eyes widening as she stared at him in disbelief.

" _Excuse me?_ Now you're telling me what I _feel_?"

Blaise stepped closer, looking down at her, looking nothing like the Blaise she knew.

"I meant what I said when I told you that I'd never do anything I didn't think you'd like. I see the way you look at him when you think no one else is watching. We both do…"

Hermione's heart sped up and her anger doubled.

"You have some nerve," she whispered.

His response was even quieter than hers, barely above a whisper.

"You wanted him. We both know it. We're all adults here, Hermione, so let us start being honest with each other. What are you really angry about? That it happened or that you enjoyed it?"

"My lack of protest and reaction was to be expected in such a situation when my mind wasn't clear. I couldn't think properly nor logically, so believe me, that 'enjoyment' wasn't real."

"The scratches on both mine and Draco's back would beg to differ."

Hermione had struck him before she knew it and she gasped in shock, eyes watering as she brought her hands up to her mouth. She stared at his turned head in sorrow, surprised at herself.

"I- I'm so-," she cut herself off.

She blinked, frowning before shaking her head.

"You know what? No. No, I'm not sorry that I did that. You deserve so much more," she spat.

Blaise straightened up, touching his cheek.  
"Harry was right about you, about all of you. All of you Slytherins are the same and why was I a fool to think any differently," she whispered shaking her head.

"I'm so so-."

"I don't care. I want _nothing_ to do with you, Blaise. Don't talk to me, don't look at me, don't come near me, hell, don't even think about me. You put _him_ before me and this is where it got you. I hope that the two of you are very happy together," she threw at him, turning and walking away.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Hermione…"

Hermione pushed the tears back, clutching her book to her chest.

"…but I think that our relationship has allowed you to forget what house I belong to."

Hermione paused, tilting her head.

"I'm not just going to let you walk away."

She slowly turned around, staring at him in a mixture of anger and disbelief.  
" _What?_ "

"We Slytherins are ambitious creatures…," he began, walking towards her.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"If you think that I'm just going to let you walk away, then you must not know me very well. You're my happiness, Hermione, and you've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to let you go so easily."

" _Are you threatening me?_ "

Blaise stared at her, expression guarded and dark eyes boring into her own.

"Take it however you like. I'm just simply informing you that I'm not giving up without a fight…"

"Well…let me know how that works out for you because you clearly don't know _me_ very well," Hermione quietly replied.

"We Slytherins always get what we want…"

"Well, there's always a first time for everything."

She walked away from him, fighting the urge to curse him into oblivion as his eyes bore into her back.

* * *

 **As always, let me know what you think!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Boom!**

* * *

"Professor Snape…I'm relieved to have run into you…," Hermione began, catching up to the cynical teacher as he made his way down the corridor.

He suddenly stopped, spinning around, dark cloak flying behind him as he gazed down his nose at her. He seemed to assess her for a few seconds before finally replying.

"Is that so?"

Only one thing was going through Snape's mind at the moment. What could Hermione Granger possibly have to discuss with him?

"I want to change partners-."

"I don't have time for your childish antics, Ms. Granger," he dismissed, immediately walking away.

Hermione clenched her jaw, expecting no less from the new DADA teacher and moved to follow him.

"Let me rephrase that, Professor. I _need_ to change partners. I refuse to work with Malfoy for the rest of the year," she continued.

"Well, that's quite unfortunate because you are going to work with Mr. Malfoy for the rest of the year," was his clipped response.

"With all due respect-."

"With all due respect, you are not changing partners unless Mr. Malfoy is incapable of doing his share, I feel that another student needs your assistance more, or you feel as if you are in harm's way."

He faced her now and she glared at him.

"Is Mr. Malfoy incapable of doing his share?"

"No."

"Do you know of another student who could better use your skills?"

"No, Professor, but-."

"Do you feel threatened by Mr. Malfoy? Do you feel as if you are in danger from him?"

"…no," Hermione replied with a defeated sigh.

"Very well, then. There's nothing more to discuss," Snape drawled, dismissing her with a fling of his robes, walking down the corridor.

* * *

"No such luck, eh?"

"None. He wouldn't even hear it," Hermione grumpily replied.

"What did you expect, Hermione? It's Snape. You should have told him about Harry," Ron added.

"And say what, Ron? 'I'm pretty sure that Malfoy is the one who put Harry into the infirmary, and despite the fact that I have no proof of such occurrence, I don't feel safe around him and want to switch partners immediately'."

Ron bit his lip, playing around with his food while Harry sighed. Hermione turned to face Harry.

"…and you're sure that you didn't catch a glimpse of him?"

"I already told you, he came from behind. By the time I was even facing him, half of my face was already swollen," Harry replied.

Hermione mentally cursed, dreading the upcoming class period more and more. She didn't want to see Malfoy, let alone be within the same vicinity of him. She had done her very best to not think of either one of them over the past few days before finally deciding that she had to return to class at some point.

"I just wish that I had gotten something, anything… Now, I'm definitely going to have to lay low for a while. Wait for him to lower his guard," Harry said.

Hermione swallowed, glancing down at her food.

* * *

 _Hermione ran her lips up Malfoy's chest, delighting in the shudder that passed through him as her teeth grazed his skin. Blaise's fingers dug into her hips and Malfoy reached down, tangling his fingers in her hair, lifting her face. That was when she saw it._

 _It stood out like a sore thumb, the dark ink practically a neon sign against Malfoy's pale skin. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the dark mark, and she surprised herself, and Malfoy, by reaching out to brush her fingers across the skull. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she acknowledged that Harry had been right. Malfoy was one of them now. He'd been right all along._

 _However, as she gazed at the evidence of Malfoy's true allegiance, she couldn't help but think that it suited Malfoy and that was her last thought on the matter before said man flipped them over…_

* * *

Hermione suddenly stood, catching the attention of her friends. Her vision swayed and she was positive that she might faint.

"I'm not feeling very well. I'm going to rest my head a bit before class," she said, hurrying away from the table, not waiting to hear their replies.

Her legs were shaky as she made her way up the stairs and she grabbed ahold of the railing, closing her eyes and forcing out a few deep breaths. How could she ever justify her actions? How could she ever tell them the truth? This was the sole reason that she did not choose to dwell on what had happened.

She had not protested, had not said one word of protest. The minute the blindfold came off, she should have screamed at the both of them. She should have slapped Malfoy into next week and curse Blaise into hell. No, instead she had welcomed it all.

 _What else could have possibly been expected of you while you were in the throes of passion?_ That's what she kept telling herself and she honestly didn't know if it was because it was the truth, or because she wanted to make herself feel better. She sighed, reaching up to rub her forehead.

Merlin, how had it all gone downhill so fast?

"Granger…"

She stiffened, eyes flying open at his voice reached her ears. What in the fresh hell could he possibly want? She stood stock still, contemplating whether or not to acknowledge him or to just walk away.

"Granger…I think we need to talk."

She spun around and was instantly bombarded with memories from that night as she stared down at him.

Malfoy gazed at her through bright, piercing eyes, a few strands of hair grazing his forehead. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone and his tie was loose around his neck.

Hermione's eyes zeroed in on the dark marks that were scattered across his neck and a wave of shame washed over. She had done that.

"The two of us have done all the talking we are ever going to do. I think you've said more than enough…"

Draco looked up at her, unruly hair haloed around her head and eyes hard as she glared at him. Memories of how she felt, how she tasted, plagued his mind and he had to physically prevent himself from doing something stupid. Well, even more stupid.

Her anger was more than justified, he supposed. He and Blaise had done a terrible, sneaky thing. He could own up to it, acknowledge it, but what he felt about it was far from regret. The minute that he'd finally confessed to himself the reason for his less than stellar behavior as of late, he knew that he and Blaise would never move on until the truth came out.

He'd been determined to break them up, unable to stand them being together. His anger and bitterness wouldn't allow it. He had at least noticed her existence before Blaise even had. Granted, taunting may have not been the best form of acknowledgement, but Blaise hadn't even known who she was until third year, when she'd punched Draco in the face.

So because he'd realized that Granger was indeed an attractive witch before Draco had, that made it fair?

"I'm not sorry."

Hermione felt like she had been slapped in the face. To be perfectly honest, she didn't even know why? What else did she possible expect from Malfoy? He had never liked her, and he sleeping with her didn't mean that he suddenly did. Like Ginny had pointed out, you didn't need to like someone to be attracted to them.

"Maybe I am sorry about how we went about it, but I'm not sorry that it happened…"

"I don't care. What is the point of this? I already figured that you felt no regrets about what happened. You got what you wanted. You got _everything_ that you wanted. You completely destroyed what I had with Blaise and you proved your infamous point in the best way possible; getting me to sleep with both of you at the same time. You had your cake and ate it too. Why would you be sorry? _You won_ ," she bitterly spat.

Malfoy chuckled, climbing the rest of the steps, forcing her to take a few steps back as he towered over her. He slid one hand into his pocket, gazing down at her.

"That's where you're wrong, Granger. I didn't win…"

Before Hermione could question him on that statement, the sound of talkative students reached their ears as everyone began exiting the hall, no doubt heading to class. He held her gaze for a second longer before brushing past her, a shudder passing through her frame as his arm grazed hers.

* * *

"Duels? _Duels?_ Has Snape gone mad? Nott is going to crucify me," Ron complained, unaware that said boy was right behind them.

"Watch your back, Weasley," said Slytherin chuckled as he walked past them.

Ron glowered, face beginning to match his hair as he glared at the back of the dark haired boy's head. Hermione too glared at him, eyes narrowing even further when he was joined by a familiar blond Slytherin.

"Although…I supposed it could be worse," Ron said, a hint of something in his voice.

It was only when Harry glanced at her did Hermione catch on.

"Oh, I'll be fine you guys…"

"Pretty sure that Malfoy might actually attempt to kill you," Ron replied.

"Guys, come on. There _are_ rules, you know. Snape was very adamant about those rules too," she said.

"Not everyone's like you, Hermione. Not everyone follows the rules," Harry seriously said, glaring at the younger Malfoy's back.

"Harry…"

Harry knew where she was going, but he didn't care. After what Malfoy had did to him, it was safe to say that Harry didn't think Malfoy being in the school was safe. He wanted him _gone._

"One of them or not, he's dangerous, and I wouldn't put it past him to maim you."

As if on cue, Malfoy suddenly glanced over his shoulder, glaring at her dark haired friend, before his eyes flickered to her. He gave her a very obvious once over before turning back around, something that did not go unnoticed by either of her friends.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

Hermione swallowed.

"I don't know…," she trailed off, the lie easily falling from her lips.

"Did he just…?"

Harry said nothing, instead narrowing his eyes at the blond Slytherin. Hermione watched as Malfoy leaned into Nott, his words having the desired effect as Nott glanced over his shoulder at her. Hermione frowned, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach as the dark haired boy turned back around.

She could feel Harry's eyes on her, but she refused to look his way.

"I don't like this. What if this is about last week? You know, when you confronted Malfoy about Harry?"

It was plausible, but Hermione was almost certain that this had nothing to do with that. Malfoy wouldn't tell anyone would he? He couldn't possibly be that cruel, could he? Plus, she was sure that it would be just as bad for him as it would be for her. She didn't have a mark on her arm that pledged a loyalty to someone who hated her kind.

"I'm sure it's nothing…"

Despite what Hermione said, her mind couldn't help but to disagree.

* * *

"Granger!"

Hermione stopped, turning around to stare in wonder as Theodore Nott approached her. The sunlight made his slight tan glow, his blue irises standing out even more. He didn't look happy as he approached her and he flicked a dark lock of hair out of his face.

"Don't look at me like that, Granger. I come in peace…"  
Hermione eyed him, skeptical, clutching her books tighter to her chest.

"What do you want?"

Nott sighed, scratching the back of his head, looking almost embarrassed.

"I'm pretty much failing Muggle Studies…," he began.

Hermione started to put two and two together, but something within her gut kept her cautious. Nott suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

"I was forced to put on my big boy knickers and just ask for your help," he complained, looking anything but happy about it.

"My help?"

"Look, I don't need _your_ help specifically, so don't go getting a big head. There are many other muggle born students at this bloody school…," he trailed off.

Hermione saw right through his pride. She was sure that she was, in fact, his only option. She was almost positive that any other muggle born student would be too afraid to accept.

"…and that's what this is about? My helping you with Muggle Studies?"

"Yes," he said with a roll of his eyes, exasperated.

"Forgive me if I'm skeptical. It's just…I saw you talking with Malfoy yesterday…"

Nott scoffed.

"He was the one who suggested I come to you in the first place," he threw out.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat and she narrowed her eyes.

"Did he now?"

"Do you have an answer for me or not? I do have a life you know," he said.

"Sure. I'll help you," she finally agreed.

He grinned, looking much better with a smile.

"Brilliant. We can meet up in the library at seven tomorrow," he said, backing up.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed, going over any possible deception she could think of, when Nott spoke.

"I almost forgot…," he began.

His grin turned sinister, mocking as he shoved his hands into his pockets, head tilted to the side.

"Draco wanted me to tell you something…"

Hermione's uneasy feeling grew.

"The game starts now, and Slytherins never fight fair. He'll be seeing you," Nott quoted.

Hermione clenched her jaw, glaring at Nott's amused face.

"See you tomorrow, Granger."

He left with a chuckle.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Boom again!**

* * *

 _"I was looking for you and I didn't know that Granger was in here. I was just about to leave, actually," Draco replied._

 _Blaise narrowed his eyes at him, skeptical, before resting his eyes on Hermione. She was exactly as he'd left her and she did indeed look a bit wide-eyed. It sounded reasonable enough, Blaise supposed, but after the last encounter with the three of them, it was safe to say that Blaise didn't trust Draco around Hermione at all._

 _"Hermione?"_

 _"He just startled me, is all," she whispered, almost too quickly._

 _Blaise rested his eyes on her for what felt like a nerve-wracking amount of time, not completely satisfied with her response, before reluctantly looking at Draco._

 _"Right. I'm actually glad that you're here… I need to talk to you, anyway," Blaise said, gesturing for Draco to lead the way out._

 _Blaise sent Hermione a reassuring smile before closing the door behind them._

 _As soon as the two of them made it into the empty common room Blaise had cursed Draco, right in the back. The blond Slytherin flew over the couch and landed on his back, quite harshly._

 _Draco felt like the wind had just been knocked out of him and he pushed himself up to lean back on his elbows, glaring at his friend._

 _"What the fuck is wrong with **you**?"_

 _"You are what's wrong with me, Draco. You think I didn't notice that earlier? Am I just expected to believe that your foot was just resting there? You tripped her! You did that on purpose, and you know what? It wasn't the first time. You've been tormenting her, making her life hell," Blaise spat, walking towards Draco._

 _Draco scoffed, standing up and brushing himself off._

 _"I was just having a bit of fun. It's not like I'm serious…"_

 _"You always were a shit liar."_

 _Draco clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing at Blaise as he stepped towards him._

 _"What would you have me say then, Blaise? Hmm? You want me to say that she disgusts me? You want me to say that I can't fathom how you can even associate with her, never mind, fuck her?"_

 _"I've already warned you," Blaise threatened._

 _"She's a filthy mud-."_

 _The word didn't even have time to escape Draco's mouth before Blaise had him crashing into the table. Blaise twirled his wand in between his fingers, his other hand in his pocket as he slowly stepped towards Draco. He kneeled down beside the younger Malfoy as said wizard clutched his stomach, each breath triggering a sharp pain._

 _"That's my girlfriend you're talking about, Draco."_

 _"You're a fool. She doesn't want you like you want her. You're my best mate and that's all that matters to her. She'll never see you as anything more than a fling because she knows that there's no future there," Draco spat._

 _Blaise clenched his jaw before standing up, delivering a swift kick to Draco's side._

 _"I think I'll take my chances," he hissed._

 _Draco couched, glaring up at Blaise._

 _"You're choosing **her** over **me**? I'm your best friend," Draco roared._

 _"That may be true, but she's much prettier and nicer than you'll ever be," Blaise threw out, turning around and leaving him there._

* * *

"Zabini and Malfoy are pretty close, right?"

Hermione looked up from the potion, completely thrown off by his question. What did he just say? It took her a second before she understood what Harry was referring to. She shook the intrusive images out of her head before finally answering.

"I suppose so… It's not like I would know, Harry," Hermione answered.

Harry looked across Slughorn's classroom to where the two topics of their discussion were, working on the potion like everyone else. He caught Zabini's eyes, and the dark skinned Slytherin glared at him, to which Harry gladly returned.

"I'm certain that professor Slughorn is planning one of his gatherings…"

Hermione frowned, far too focused on the task at hand to keep up.

"Oh, come on, Hermione. Everyone knows about the Slug Club," Harry whispered.

Hermione blinked in realization.

"What does this have to do with me…and Zabini?"

"It's quite obvious that Slughorn plans to invite you to probably every gathering and party he's having this year. He'd be mental not to. I have a hunch that Zabini might be considered as well," Harry continued.

Hermione paused before glancing up at him.

"Go on…"

"I just need you to listen out. Try and catch Zabini slip up or something. There's no way Slughorn is going to invite Malfoy. He doesn't want to associate with the likes of him and his family. Even if he isn't sure, he's not going to take the chance. Malfoy's name is bound to come up between them…"

"Why can't you do it?"

Hermione wasn't sure why this task was falling on her shoulders.

"What makes you think I'll even be considered, Hermione? My marks are average at best. I doubt Slughorn sees me as a good 'investment'," he replied.

Hermione stepped away from her cauldron, turning to fully face Harry now, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You're Harry Potter. You're the chosen one, our best shot and only hope at defeating…," Hermione glanced around before whispering "…Voldemort. Your name holds more weight than anyone's in the Wizarding World. You're honestly going to tell me that Slughorn isn't going to invest in you because of academics? Harry, please," she scoffed, turning back around.

"Well…when you put it like that," Harry said in realization.

Hermione suddenly remembered her conversation with Blaise, and she shuffled her feet.

"Besides, I don't think that resorting to spying on Zabini now is a good idea, anyway."

"Why not? It's Zabini…"

She looked up at him.

"Weren't you the one who was always so anti-Slytherin? I know he may seem tame, but he's Malfoy's best mate for a reason. What kind of person must you be to get along with _that_?"

Hermione flickered her eyes towards Malfoy and back. Harry pursed his lips, considering her advice. Hermione spoke nothing but the truth. It pained her to say so, but Blaise turned out to be no better than the rest of them. She had always thought that he was some kind of special to be able to put up with Malfoy. She had once thought him a genuine guy to be able to find good in someone like Malfoy.

 _What a joke_ , she mentally scoffed.

Never had she considered the reason they got on so well was because there wasn't much difference between them. It had never occurred to her that Blaise and Malfoy were two sides of the same coin. She was all too relieved when Slughorn dismissed class, a sudden pang of sadness hitting her.

"Hermione? You okay?"

Harry had noticed her sudden drop in mood. She threw him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied.

Harry was skeptical, but he decided to let it slide. He grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers and giving her a soft, encouraging squeeze. They gathered their things and followed the rest of the students out of the classroom. They passed Blaise and Malfoy as they went, and Hermione forced the tears back as she walked away.

In just one night, what she and Blaise had, had been destroyed, and now it was like they never knew each other at all.

* * *

"You're helping Theodore Nott with Muggle Studies? Why is Nott even in Muggle Studies?"

"I don't know. It's not something that seemed important to ask, at the time," Hermione replied, stuffing her face.

"You know Harry's going to freak, right? He's so anti-Slytherin as of late, especially since the whole thing with Malfoy," Ginny added.

"Yeah, I know," Hermione sighed.

"Maybe…maybe your breakup happened at the right time. I mean, Harry and Ron were bound to find out, eventually and we both know that Harry would have no understanding," Ginny suddenly said.

Hermione swallowed, nodding in agreement, gazing out onto the school grounds.

"I miss him, Gin," Hermione suddenly whispered.

Ginny turned to look at Hermione, eyebrows furrowing in sympathy. She wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"He did a terrible thing, Hermione. He put his friend before you. He made the choice, deciding that possibly losing you was worth the risk just to get his friend back. He sold you out, remember?"

Hermione nodded with a sigh.

"I know. I just…I keep replaying that awful conversation in my head. He insisted that it didn't go down like that. What if he's telling the truth?"

"…and what if he's not? What if he's just saying whatever it takes to get you into bed again?"

Hermione was tempted to respond that Blaise wasn't like that, but then she remembered what he did, recalling that she never expected something like that from him to begin with. She thought that she knew him, but it was clear that she didn't know him it all…

"You know what? Tell me about him," Ginny suddenly said.

Hermione frowned, glancing at the redhead.

"What?"

"You never told me about him. Tell me about…why you never saw this coming. Tell me what hooked Hermione Granger…"

Hermione glanced down with a frown, before looking up, eyes resting on the tree across from them.

"He's very…kind. He was always a gentleman, putting me first. He always did whatever it took to make me smile. He's also very understanding and…open minded. He knows all about my parents and my childhood and my life growing up as a muggle-born witch…"

Hermione chuckled.

"Do you know that I had to practically convince him to 'take advantage of me'? He was so adamant against shagging me at the top of the Astronomy tower, spouting about how I deserved better. It was cute…when it wasn't so darn frustrating. Here I was, just wanting to be desired, wanting to be… _manhandled_ and he was afraid to even touch me. He was my first and despite what happened, I don't regret it. He made me feel desired, he always did. That was something that was never a question with him…"

"…I told him all about Ron. He was always more than happy to listen to my problems. To this day, I'll never understand that. Sometimes _I_ don't even want to listen to my problems, Ginny. And…he's funny. You would never expect it, Merlin, _I_ never expected it, but he's hilarious, Ginny. He knew exactly how to make me laugh, how to make me feel better…"

"He sounds…virtually perfect, Hermione."

"He was to me. Obviously he had his faults, but I accepted them. His constant excuse of his friend's behavior for one. I always thought that he clearly saw a side to him that I never did, but now I don't know. Maybe they're one and the same. Who knows," Hermione said with a shrug.

Ginny rubbed her arm.

"You know something else? He was…oddly jealous of Harry," Hermione suddenly said.

"How so?"

"He'd asked me on a few occasions were Harry and I ever…you know. The idea was preposterous to me, but he seemed to be convinced that there was something there on Harry's part," Hermione continued, recalling the first incident.

* * *

 _Hermione was swept up into his arms as soon as she rounded the corner. She held in her shriek, tightening her arms and legs around him as he spun her around. Her back lightly hit the wall, and he set her on her feet. She leaned up, pecking him on the lips._

 _"What's got you in such a great mood?"_

 _Blaise chuckled, the sound a little off to her ears. She lightly frowned._

 _"Nothing, just…happy to see you," he said, leaning in and pressing his lips against hers._

 _Hermione reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and moaning as he deepened the kiss, his hands tightening on her waist. He pulled away and Hermione swayed on her feet, relieved that he was holding her up._

 _"You're **really** happy to see me," she joked._

 _Her smile faltered when he didn't return it and she frowned._

 _"What is it?"_

 _Blaise looked troubled._

 _"Uh…why…why didn't you tell me that you and Potter were…like that?"_

 _"Like what?"_

 _Hermione's confusion grew, and Blaise gave her a meaningful look._

 _"You know…like **that**?"_

 _Hermione's eyes widened as she caught on and she almost choked._

 _"Oh…no! What-. Blaise…what on earth would make you think that? No, seriously…"_

 _Blaise reached up, brushing a strand of hair away from her face._

 _"You two were holding hands…"_

 _Hermione chuckled._

 _"That's just something we do. He's like a brother to me," Hermione replied._

 _"Does he know that?"_

 _"I'm…pretty sure he does. I'm also fairly certain that the feeling is mutual…"_

 _"I…I don't know, Hermione. I'm pretty sure he's feeling something more," Blaise argued._

 _"Blaise…"_

 _"I know that we aren't…really a **thing**. I just…if the two of you have ever-."_

 _"We haven't. Our relationship is so far from what you're hinting at," she interrupted._

 _Blaise blinked, taking a deep breath before nodding._

 _"Okay."_

 _"Okay?"_

 _"Yeah, yeah."_

 _"Good, now-."_

 _Hermione was interrupted by his kiss, his lips devouring hers with a fervor. She tightened her arms around his neck and his hands traveled to her backside, fingers digging into the flesh underneath her skirt. His lips traveled to her ear and he brushed his tongue against the skin._

 _"I want to be inside of you," he whispered._

 _Hermione shuddered and looked around._

 _"Blaise, we can't," she warned._

 _"We can…and we will. There's a broom closet right over there," he nodded his head._

 _She looked at him with wide eyes._

 _"You can't be serious…"_

 _"It'll be fun. I need you… **now** ," he huskily whispered against the skin of her neck._

 _Hermione threw her head back, allowing him to wrap her legs around his waist…_

* * *

Hermione now realized what that had been about. She shook her head.

"He always wanted more from me. He never did like it when I called what we had a fling. It rubbed him the wrong way," Hermione said.

"I don't get it. It's like he did a complete one-eighty," Ginny wondered.

Maybe he had been telling the truth when he told Hermione that there was more to the story. Maybe he hadn't just handed her off like a prized possession. Ginny couldn't correlate the man that Hermione was telling her about to the man who had handed her over to his best friend like a silver platter. However, she wasn't going to voice these doubts to Hermione. She didn't need to hear that, right now.

* * *

Hermione walked past the rows and rows of books towards the restricted section, where she and Nott had agreed to meet. Hermione was still incredibly cautious where Nott was concerned, but had concluded that there was no way that Nott knew a thing. He'd simply been Malfoy's messenger boy. Still, he was known to hang around _them_ , so she wasn't letting her guard down just yet.

She slowly walked down the aisles, gazing at the titles as she went. There was no harm in looking while she waited…

She reached up, running her fingers along the spines of the books when a hand came down over hers, halting her movement.

"That's incredibly dangerous. Some of these books are cursed, you know," a low voice murmured into her hair.

Hermione stiffened, closing her eyes as he pressed his chest to her back, the familiar feel of him stirring up something within her.

"Simply looking out for your safety, is all…"

"Where is Nott?"

"Hmm? Oh, Teddy? He's not coming. He had a… _prior engagement_."

"Is this your way of fighting for me? Cornering me in the restricted section like some stalker," she hissed, barely above a whisper.

"This is me taking advantage of an opportunity that Nott was so gracious to give me. I told you that I'm going to fight for you. You mean the world to me, Hermione," Blaise whispered.

She shoved her way from in between him and the bookshelf.

"I don't have to listen to anything you say," she spat, not even sparing a glance at him as she rounded the corner.

She immediately halted, stumbling back as the tall figure came around the corner, blocking her path. Her heart sped up as she realized that she was cornered. She glared at Malfoy as he leaned against the shelf, one foot in front of the other and his arms crossed over his chest. He stared down at her with a slight smirk gracing his lips and Hermione felt Blaise's hands come up to rest on her shoulders.

"Now…about that talk…"

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

**An update! A fight! Another Slytherin comes into the mix!**

 **I Own Nothing**

* * *

Hermione spun around, immediately shoving Blaise away, fire in her eyes.

"I'm really beginning to think that I never knew you, at all. I don't have anything to say to you. What is so hard to understand about that?"

Why couldn't he see that this hurt, that standing here, in front of him, hurt? He'd betrayed her trust. He knew how much faith she had in him and he used that to his advantage. Looking at him and not knowing whether to hug him or hurt him was heartbreaking. He'd seen parts of her that not even her friends had seen, and now, a part of her couldn't stomach the sight of him.

Blaise briefly closed his eyes, heaving a small sigh before stepping towards her. Hermione almost unconsciously took one back, but then she remembered who was at her back, and she froze. She could feel his penetrating gaze stabbing heat into her back, like a hot sword.

Blaise reached out towards her, his fingers an inch away from her arm before letting his arm drop in defeat.

"I know that- that I'm going about all of this ass backwards. I know that I should have talked to you about all of this _before_ it happened…"

Against her better judgement, Hermione asked:

"Talked to me about all of what?"

Blaise held her gaze and Hermione felt her shoulders sagging slightly, losing some of their tension.

"I would never just hand you over like a bargaining chip. I would never…sell you out," he said through clenched teeth.

"But you did…!"

She snapped her mouth shut, briefly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She had almost forgotten where she was.

"…but you did…," she repeated, much quieter this time "…like I said before, Blaise. Actions speak louder than words and your actions say that I was merely-."

"You _cannot_ believe that you mean that little to me," Blaise spat in frustration.

"What else am I supposed to believe? Your words? The words that you're trying to sell to me, right now? Forgive me if I have a hard time believing _anything_ you say," she hissed.

"You know me, Hermione-."

"No, I don't. I never knew you at all," she scoffed.

"Granger…"

"One more word from you, Malfoy, and I'll turn you inside out," she venomously threw over her shoulder without so much as turning around.

She heard him chuckle and she snapped, spinning around so fast, her hair almost slapping Blaise in the face. She glared up at the tall blond.

"Is this amusing, Malfoy? Do you find enjoyment in what you caused? What you ruined?"

He said nothing, simply gazing down at her through bright eyes, a faint smirk on his lips.

"…in a manner of speaking."

Hermione hurled herself at him, determine to ruin his pretty face, when strong arms wrapped around her.

"Let go of me!"

Before Blaise could respond, or do just that, someone called her name from a few rows over. Hermione glanced up as she heard it again.

"Hermione?"

Blaise scrambled away from her as if she were on fire, and one glance behind her revealed that Malfoy had disappeared. She turned back around just in time for Ginny to round the corner, pausing in shock at finding Hermione in the aisle with Blaise Zabini, alone.

Ginny's eyebrows furrowed as her eyes flickered between the two of them before finally resting on Hermione.

"Hermione…," she slowly questioned, uneasy.

Hermione didn't spare Blaise a glance as she walked towards Ginny, grabbing the younger witch's hand and pulling her out of the restricted section. Hermione ignored Ginny's protests to slow down as she practically sprinted out of the library. She didn't stop until they were well into the corridor, when Ginny roughly tugged her hand from her own, forcing her to turn around.

"Ginny, we can stop as soon as we-."

"No."

Hermione paused at the firmness in Ginny's voice as her friend looked at her with hard, questioning eyes. Ginny frowned even more, lips pursed as she glanced back towards the direction of the library.

Hermione sighed in defeat, throat becoming incredibly thick as she could see Ginny putting the pieces together.

"It's Zabini…isn't it? He's the guy… _isn't he?_ "

"Gin…"

" _Answer me_ ," Ginny demanded.

Hermione's chest was heavy as she looked down. There was no need to confirm, Ginny already knew, but she knew that confirming Ginny's suspicions would lead to confirming who the friend was. Ginny knowing everything would make it all so much more tangible. Before, she could at least pretend that it had never happened. Leading a double life tended to do that. Now…now her separate world that she shared with Blaise was infiltrating the one she shared with her friends, and that made everything so much more real. Now, she couldn't pretend.

"…yes," she whispered in defeat.

She looked up just in time to see Ginny place her hands on the top of her head in shock. Her mouth fell open and her eyes took on a glassy sheen as she stared at Hermione in disbelief.

Ginny felt like the wind had been knocked out of her as the reality set in.

"No…," she breathed.

"Ginny-."

"No, _no_!"

Ginny dropped her arms, shaking her head.

"This isn't true. This can't be true, because if it is…if he's the guy, then it's pretty _bloody obvious_ who the best friend is and I _refuse_ to believe that," Ginny spat, eyes blazing.

Hermione said nothing, simply lowering her head in shame. Ginny screamed in frustration.

" _What have you done?_ What have you gotten yourself into, Hermione?"

Hermione felt anger bubble inside of her and she swallowed, resting her eyes on Ginny.

"What happened to the understanding girl who sympathized with my conflicted feelings? Where's the girl who was rooting for me before all of this happened?"

"That was _before_ I knew we were talking about Zabini and Malfoy," Ginny harshly hissed.

"Does it really make a difference?"

Of course, Hermione knew that it made all of the difference in the world.

"Yes! Malfoy is dangerous, Hermione, and guess what? That makes Zabini dangerous by association."

"Funny, you didn't seem to believe that weeks ago," Hermione found herself saying.

"That's because I didn't know who it was! What would even possess you to get involved with the likes of him, anyway?"

"Have you completely forgotten all of the good stuff I told you about him? He's not all bad, Ginny."

"Yes, and him not being 'all bad' is exactly why you're in your current predicament, right?"

Hermione sharply inhaled as if she'd been slapped.

Ginny huffed, angered, annoyed, and worried all at once.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that they aren't all the same-."

"But clearly they are," Ginny interrupted.

Hermione shook her head.

"Why…why are you suddenly acting like Harry?"

"Why are you defending him?"

Hermione snapped her mouth shut, taken back by the question.

"I'm not," she weakly said.

"You are. You're defending him. Look, maybe I had some understanding before when I thought we were talking about regular students, regular Slytherins here, but Hermione… Have you completely forgotten the part where Malfoy is a suspected Death Eater?"

Hermione swallowed and glanced away as she recalled staring the Dark Mark in the face.

Ginny did not miss this, and she took a step forward.

"What was that?"

Hermione's eyes snapped to Ginny, the younger girl taking another step forward.

"What was what?"

"That look," Ginny threw out.

"I don't know what you're…," Hermione trailed off as Ginny's eyes seemed to light up.

"You've seen him… _all_ of him…"

"Thanks for the reminder," Hermione bitterly replied.

"He has the mark, doesn't he? He's one of them, isn't he, Hermione?"

Hermione didn't need to answer that because they both knew the truth.

Ginny swallowed, a sick feeling in her stomach as she imagined Hermione around him, beneath him…a _Death Eater_.

" _Are you kidding me?_ There's a Death Eater roaming these halls like he's one of us, and you haven't said one word," Ginny accused.

"Yeah, because that sounds like a smart idea. You think I haven't thought about this? You think I haven't thought about the fact that I slept with a Death Eater? Someone who serves a vile being who is intent on destroying myself and everyone else like me? You don't think I've mulled over the fact that he made an attempt on Dumbledore's life? That, more than likely, he was tasked with killing our Headmaster?"

Ginny seemed to snap out of her anger induced fog and her shoulders sagged as she looked at Hermione, really looked at her, in sympathy. Hermione was struggling with this, much more than Ginny could possibly imagine, and she suddenly felt selfish.

"Hermione…I'm sorry…"

"No, I get it, okay? I understand your anger and confusion and urge to probably slap me silly. Believe me, I get it, because it's all I can think about since it happened. Not only that, but Blaise clearly knows about Malfoy, and I don't know what that means. Is he trying to save his friend or…," Hermione trailed off, unable to bring herself to voice her thoughts.

"…or help him," Ginny quietly finished.

Hermione swallowed.

"I don't want to believe that. I don't, but…I clearly don't know Blaise at all."

Ginny sighed, stepping towards Hermione.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but…you can't go near him. You can't be around him, anymore. Malfoy is one of them, Hermione. Zabini might be too…"

"He doesn't have the mark, Gin."

"…and what is that supposed to mean? You think they're going to mark them all? Who knows how many are in this school. Greengrass, Nott, Parkinson…Zabini. He's his best mate, raised in the same world that Malfoy was raised in. It's not a stretch, not by a longshot…"

Hermione could find nothing but truth in Ginny's words. Never mind the fact that he'd handed her off like a gift, but Blaise could possibly be one of them. Oddly, the thought had never occurred to her before. She knew that he would have to pick a side, eventually, it had just never crossed her mind that…that he might have already chosen.

"Why were you looking for me," Hermione suddenly asked.

Ginny smiled.

"I didn't trust Nott. Not one bit, and apparently my mistrust was not without reason," she answered.

Hermione chuckled.

"Thanks…"

"Are you okay? What happened back there?"

"We were just…talking," Hermione said with a sigh, suddenly drained.

"You looked really upset when I came around the corner," Ginny noted.

"I was," Hermione confirmed.

Ginny wanted to press, but she could see the fatigue and defeat in Hermione's eyes and decided to let it go.

"Come on."

She and Hermione walked down the corridor, headed towards the Gryffindor common room, unaware of the figure with crystal blue eyes that lingered on them, shock and fear swirling within their depths.

* * *

 _"One more word, Draco…," Blaise threatened._

 _"Or what? You'll what? Curse me, kill me? You're being an idiot, Blaise," Draco harshly whispered through clenched teeth as he stared the dark haired boy down._

 _"You're confusing me for yourself. You're the one who can't get your head out of your ass for one minute-."_

 _"She's a prissy, self-righteous know-it-all who doesn't give a rat's ass about you. There's a reason that she won't give you more than sex," Draco threw out._

 _Draco found his back digging into the foundation of the corridor wall and he laughed, the sound drawing the attention of the few students in the hall. Class had only just been dismissed, but he knew that the time was approaching when more students would make their way into the corridors. Soon the corridor would be filled with them, but neither one of them cared._

 _Both Blaise and Draco could feel the imminent fight approaching._

 _"You're abandoning me for some girl? You think she's the love of your life," Draco sweetly mocked, a taunting smile on his lips._

 _Blaise pulled Draco away, only to slam him against the wall again with more force than last time. Brown and silver clashed._

 _"What's it to you?"_

 _"You think she's special? You think she's different? Let me tell you something, Blaise…"_

 _Draco leaned forward, his mouth right next to Blaise's ear._

 _"She's a dime a dozen," he whispered._

 _"You have such strong feelings towards someone who isn't all that special. Why waste so much time on someone who's so…common, as you say?"_

 _Draco smirked, a cruel look on his face as he reached up and shoved Blaise away. He reached down to begin unbuttoning the sleeves of his shirt._

 _"She would have opened her legs for either one of us. You just got to her first," Draco quietly stated._

 _Blaise straightened up, fists clenched at his side._

 _"You sound… **bitter** about that, Draco," Blaise purred, eyebrow raised._

 _Draco's smirk grew and he looked at Blaise from beneath his lashes._

 _"Why would I be bitter? After all, it was only yesterday that I had her beneath me, trembling from **my** touch…"_

 _The fire in Blaise's eyes grew._

 _"She was practically dripping for me, practically begging me to sink my teeth into that soft skin of hers. Alas, only my tongue could do the honors…"_

 _A chilling laugh escaped his lips as Blaise took a step forward. By now, the sound of chatting students was beginning to reach their ears but neither one of them paid any mind. Draco finished rolling up his sleeves, deciding that he would take great pleasure in this. He smiled, pearly whites on display…_

 _"If you had walked in just a few minutes later…who knows what you would have stumbled into? Me, on the other hand, well…I think we both know what I would have gotten myself into-."_

 _Draco's back slammed into the wall as Blaise ran into him and he immediately cocked his fist back…_

* * *

"Gosh, it all just makes so much sense now. The looks, the sudden increase in animosity towards you. How could I have not figured it out sooner?"

"Ginny…please…," Hermione begged, pleading for her to drop it.

They walked down the stairs, approaching the Great Hall for breakfast. Ginny sighed, brushing her hair away from her face, the vibrant tresses spilling around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry. It's just…now that I've slept on it, it really is a lot to swallow. All of it…," Ginny said with a shake of her head.

"I know."

"Malfoy really is a tosser. He's…despicable and Zabini is no better, no offense. I know that feelings don't just go away, no matter how much you wish it. The things you've told me about Zabini, and then knowing its Zabini…I just… It's hard to correlate."

"I know," Hermione sighed.

"Merlin, I wish I could curse the both of them into the very pits of whatever hell they deserve. The nerve of both of them…and then to have Nott play their little sidekick. 'Slytherins never fight fair', ugh," Ginny repeated Nott's words in disgust.

"Ginny…I'm begging you."

"Sorry."

They stepped into the hall, not noticing the figure walking towards the entrance, preparing to leave when Ginny bumped into him. She looked up, an apology already on her lips when she paused. Hermione stood behind her and glared up at Malfoy as he narrowed his eyes at Ginny before resting them on her.

Malfoy ran his eyes over her, causing Hermione to take a step back, a slight smirk gracing his lips before they cut to Ginny.

"Watch it, Weasley."

The words had barely escaped his lips before Ginny threw him a right hook. Hermione gasped in shock, taken back by the bold move as Ginny threw herself into the young Malfoy before he even had time to recover.

Ginny saw the way he looked at her friend, could imagine the thoughts swimming in his head. Merlin, she was going to enjoy wiping that haughty look off of his face.

"You smug, vile Cretan!"

The scuffle drew the attention of everyone in the hall as Ginny had Malfoy on his back, the blond holding up his arms, to block her fists. Hermione jumped into action, not wanting her friend to get into trouble. She grabbed Ginny by the shoulders, pulling her off of Malfoy, with great difficulty. Ginny's hand was still clenched in Malfoy's hair, the blond's teeth clenched together as she held on with an iron grip.

Several students began to crowd around them and Hermione's heart stuttered as she caught sight of Blaise. Ginny noticed him too and let go of Malfoy almost immediately, only to reach into her robes and pull out her wand.

"Ginny!"

Before Hermione could utter another word, Blaise's face was suddenly covered in great, flapping wings, the black things obstructing his face from view. Hermione reached for Ginny's wand when…

"Everte Statum!"

Draco had just gotten to his feet, only to fly back across the hall, landing straight onto the Head table where most of the teachers had previously been seated. The majority of them had come over to investigate the commotion. Professor McGonagall was the first to reach them, snatching Ginny's wand out of her hand and gripping the young girl's arm.

"Ms. Weasley! What in Godric's name has gotten into you? If you were hoping on two months' worth of detention, then you've got it."

"Professor…," Hermione protested, but McGonagall held up her hand.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Ginny simply glared at Blaise as Professor Snape attempted to reverse the hex.

"Yeah…it's a pity that Unforgivables are forbidden," she spat.

McGonagall let out a soft gasp, so quiet that Hermione almost missed it. The older witch glanced at Blaise before glancing back at Malfoy, who was being attended to, eyes finally resting on Ginny in wonder. She led the redhead out of the hall.

"What the bloody hell was that about?"

Ron's voice came from beside her, but Hermione didn't answer. She looked to her right, eyes meeting Harry's as he frowned at her, a million questions swirling within his eyes. She glanced away, eyes completely passing over Daphne Greengrass, whose crystal blue gaze was focused on nothing but her.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Always expect the unexpected.**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

 _Draco drove his fist into the wall, clenching his teeth as the sharp pain shot up the length of his arm._

 _"I'm not stupid, Draco. I know you…," Blaise lowly said._

 _Draco made a sound that vaguely resembled a growl as he turned to face Blaise._

 _"What do you want me to say? What the hell do you want from me?"_

 _"The truth," Blaise threw out, crossing his arms over his chest._

 _Blaise knew Draco, probably better than Draco knew himself. Now that he'd seen it, he didn't understand how he didn't see it before._

 _"You want her…"_

 _Draco scoffed._

 _"Now, who's delusional," Draco spat._

 _"No…you don't just want her…," Blaise trailed off, never taking his eyes off of Draco._

 _He took a step forward, undeterred by his friend's glare._

 _"You like her…as in_ really _like her…"_

 _"Blaise, I'm warning you…"_

 _"Say it! Say it, Draco! Let's get all of it out in the open," Blaise loudly said._

 _Draco took a threatening step forward._

 _"What do you want to hear? Huh? You want me to say that I don't like that she's with you, instead of me? You want me to say that I don't like it when you two are making googly eyes at each other from across the room?"_

 _Draco took another step forward, and Blaise did the same._

 _"How about, I can't stand the fact that out of all the guys in the school she chose to shag, she chose you? Or, or…maybe you want me to say something about how she deserves better? Hmm? Do you want me to warn you away, claiming that you'll only hurt her?"_

 _Another step forward, another step mirrored. They were only inches apart now, and Draco's chest heaved as he stared Blaise in the eyes._

 _"Maybe…maybe you want me to say that ever since I saw her in your room that day that she's all I've thought about. Maybe you want me to admit that I've thought of Granger in several similar scenarios, only it wasn't your bed that she was sharing…"_

 _Draco clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes._

 _"Or maybe that I'm mad at you for having the common sense to notice who she was before I did…?"_

 _Draco swallowed, stepping back and folding his hands into fists at his side._

 _"…maybe I'm angry because you're where I want to be…"_

* * *

"What on earth were you thinking?"

Ginny crossed her arms over her chest, sinking back into the chair. The common room was empty, thank Merlin, and they didn't have to worry about curious listeners.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but all I saw was a smug bastard who got exactly what he wanted and a shitty boyfriend who took advantage of your trust. All I saw was two guys who hurt my best friend. They deserved it," Ginny whispered.

"Did you ever stop to think about how this might affect me?"

Ginny felt a small pang of regret, having not thought of that.

"…no, but maybe they'll back off now. No more cornering you in the library or anywhere else. I won't apologize for what I did. Someone had to do it…"

Hermione paused in her pacing, turning to face Ginny head on.

"Just what is that supposed to mean," she questioned.

"It means that you clearly weren't going to give them what they deserved. Your feelings for Blaise are all types of conflicted, right now, and Malfoy…," Ginny trailed off with a scoff.

Hermione frowned at the flash of disgust that passed over Ginny's features, and she stepped closer.

"What was that about? What about Malfoy?"

"You're attracted to the jerk! Or…at least you were," Ginny said.

"Where on earth did you get an idea like that?"

Ginny rolled her eyes towards her.

"Please… Tell me something, Hermione," Ginny began.

The redhead stood, walking towards her best friend as Hermione looked on in confusion.

"Why didn't you say anything that night? Why didn't you open your mouth and protest? Or curse them out? At the very least, slap him?"

Hermione scoffed, folding her arms over her chest as well.

"I apologize if my reactions and thought process was a bit…delayed, Ginny. Take it from someone who experienced it, it wasn't as black and white as you're trying to make it seem," Hermione said.

"That's not what I'm-."

"…but you are! You're insinuating that because I didn't say anything…because I didn't voice my discomfort, I excused what happened. That I was all in, and that couldn't be farther from the truth…"

Hermione dropped her arms, exhaling.

"I can't even begin to describe the number of emotions that were building up inside of me. Here I am, in the middle of sex with who I think is my wonderful boyfriend. I'm beside myself with happiness and pleasure, and then…it isn't him. I'm now confused. Yes, the pleasure and enjoyment is still there, but now there's confusion and a bit of anger because I realize that I've been tricked…"

"I want to say something, I start to say something, but I don't. Fine, a part of me _was_ attracted to Malfoy. A very small part, because let's face it, he's an _ass_. Nonetheless, that tiny part of me took great pleasure in this new development. That tiny part of me was telling me to take advantage of this. That tiny part of me _wanted_ this. However, an even bigger part of me was telling me that Blaise had betrayed us, betrayed our trust…"

Hermione shook her head, looking away.

"…then he told me that it was okay…and for a while, I believed that. For a while, that tiny part of me won and agreed with him that it was okay. That because that small attraction for Malfoy was present, it was okay. That because I wasn't opposed to having a third partner, it was okay. What did it matter that he didn't ask? I would've said yes, anyway, right?"

Hermione threw her hands up and scoffed.

"…what did it matter that it was Malfoy? The guy who'd been making my life a living hell for weeks? Who had been treating me like an unwanted cold sore? Oh, oh, but wait! It turns out that his behavior was due to some feelings that were present, so, hey! That excuses his behavior. That makes it okay, right?"

Hermione huffed and Ginny stepped towards her.

"Only it wasn't okay, and this didn't become clearer until afterwards. That was when the anger came. I was furious, I was confused, I was hurt…humiliated. I was angry with Malfoy, and I was even angrier with Blaise, but above all…I was angry with myself. Why didn't I say something? Why did I stare him in the face and allow him to kiss me? The truth, Ginny…is that I felt that the damage was already done..."

"…I saw no sense in protesting because I didn't want to. I'm making Blaise and Malfoy own up to the fact that they did me wrong, because they did. They did a dirty, sneaky thing. There's no question about that, but I also need to be honest with myself. I didn't want to stop," Hermione darkly said with a shrug.

Hermione sank back down into the seat.

"Not even when I saw that… _thing_ on his arm. I had no intentions of saying anything…"

Ginny swallowed.

"Does that make me a bad person?"

Ginny sat down beside her, taking her hand.

"No, Hermione, it doesn't. You're just a girl who was tricked. Saying all of this aloud, maybe it'll make it easier to stay away from both of them as much as possible…"

* * *

Hermione was walking down the stairs towards the Great hall the next morning with a handful of students, a few teachers thrown into the mix. She was on her own this morning, Ron and Harry having already beaten her there for once, with Ginny sleeping in. She was halfway down the stairs when someone stumbled past her, knocking into her shoulder as they landed on the step directly beneath her. The figure threw their head back, blonde locks flying as they connected gazes with her.

Daphne Greengrass frowned, lip curling over her perfect teeth as she glared up at Hermione. Hermione frowned in confusion, but before she could do anything, Greengrass had already stood, reaching out to shove Hermione back.

"What the hell is your problem, Granger?"

Hermione's frown deepened as a small dose of irritation bubbled up inside of her.

"What are you on about?"

"You tripped me, you troll!"

"I did no such thing!"

Luck was not on Hermione's side that morning as Snape was one of the few teachers near.

"Ms. Granger, perhaps you can brush up on your coordination and manners tonight in detention," his voice drawled from behind her.

Hermione spun around, looking up at him in disbelief. He couldn't be serious? She had not even touched Greengrass!

"I suppose the same goes for me, as well, Professor? I did push her, after all," Greengrass' tinkling voice came from behind Hermione, filled with disdain.

Snape had the most peculiar expression on his face, as if he did not want to give Greengrass detention, but also did not want to be accused of favoritism.

"…very well," he reluctantly stated, staring down his nose at the Slytherin girl.

He brushed past the both of them and Hermione turned back around, at a loss for words. Greengrass gave her one very venomous once over before following behind him.

Hermione huffed in irritation before reluctantly following, entering the Great Hall.

She she sat down across from Harry and Ron.

"You won't believe what just happened to me…"

* * *

"…he's miserable, you know…"

Hermione looked up in shock, not used to Malfoy cordially speaking to her…at least not during lesson. More importantly, especially not after…

She glanced away from him, resuming her note taking lest Snape give her another detention.

Draco stared at her, eyes trailing over her as he took her in.

"I know you care about him. It has to make you feel something to know that he's-."

"He should be," she interrupted.

Draco heaved a tired sigh, not exactly sure what Blaise expected him to accomplish.

"Hermione…"

Hermione tensed up, not used to him using her first name.

...

 _He trailed his lips up her throat as she rocked against him, his hands digging into the base of her spine as hers settled on his shoulders. Blaise's lips were attached to her shoulder, his hands never lingering in one place for long._

 _Hermione rolled her hips, eliciting a hiss from in between Draco's teeth as his grip tightened._

 _"Hermione," he breathed, his breath fanning over her skin._

 _..._

"Don't…" she swallowed, "Don't call me that."

He was quiet for some time before he eventually turned to look at her, his eyes boring into her skin. His blood warmed at seeing the glazed look within her eyes, knowing that her mind had drifted to the same place as his.

"Why not?"

His voice was but a whisper, loud enough for her ears only. She paused in her writing, slowly turning her head just a fraction. She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, a troubled expression on her face.

"You know why…"

She glanced away, resuming, pretending the conversation never happened.

* * *

Snape closed the door behind him, leaving Hermione and Greengrass to it. Hermione bit her lip and ran her eyes over the stack of parchment, repressing the urge to throw a tantrum. Wasn't grading student papers supposed to be his job? She wasn't even supposed to be here! She had done nothing wrong…

She glanced up to find Greengrass looking at her, and Hermione rolled her eyes, turning away. She didn't know what her problem was. As far as Hermione could remember, she had done nothing to insult the blonde. Maybe Harry was right, maybe they were just getting bolder…

"We need to talk, Granger…"

Hermione scoffed.

"What about? About how I _didn't_ trip you, and you got-."

"In what world would I ever talk any teacher into giving me detention when I know they had no intentions of doing so? I needed a safe place to speak to you away from prying eyes and listening ears," Greengrass stated.

Hermione reared back in disbelief, staring at the other girl in confusion.

"…you…you did this on purpose?"

Greengrass made a sound, something in between a scoff and a chuckle as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You aren't the only clever witch in this school, you know…"

Hermione's frown deepened as Greengrass smirked at her. What could Greengrass possibly want to talk about that required such privacy? The Slytherin suddenly sighed, leaning against a nearby desk.

"I don't even know where to start…"

Hermione remained quiet, deciding to hear her out entirely.

"There are…there are things that are going on…"

She licked her lips, nervous.

"There are things happening within our house that you Gryffindors can't even imagine," she whispered, shaking her head.

"What kind of things?"

"I know that you lot think we're all hoping to follow in our parents' footsteps. Some of you joke, but…it's so much more than that," she quietly said.

"Greengrass…"

"I-I can't tell you everything. I won't…not until…," she trailed off, looking away.

Hermione watched in awe as her expression changed, her guard slipping, eyes downcast. What could she possibly have seen? What could possibly scare her so much? She suddenly looked up again, eyes simultaneously hard and vulnerable as she took a step towards Hermione.

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I'll tell you, Potter, and Dumbledore everything, but you have to… You have to promise me that you'll protect me. You have to give me that, Granger."

Hermione's eyes widened and her confusion grew as Greengrass' voice grew in desperation. The blonde girl suddenly swallowed, eyes becoming misty. Hermione saw a fear in the other girl's eyes like no other, an expression that was unfamiliar on the blonde's face.

"I need your help…," she softly whispered, eyes pleading as she walked closer.

Hermione watched as she reached down, shakily pulling up her sleeve.

"I want out."

There, on Daphne Greengrass' flawless skin, was the Dark Mark in bold, black ink.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I love when people try and guess what is going to happen. It makes me happy. However, I hate when people presume to assume that they know what is going on and claim that certain plots have no reason. How would you know? You're not the author. Not being specific btw, just speaking in general. Anyways, I quite like this chapter.**

* * *

 _"I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I'll tell you, Potter, and Dumbledore everything, but you have to… You have to promise me that you'll protect me. You have to give me that, Granger."_

 _Hermione's eyes widened and her confusion grew as Greengrass' voice grew in desperation. The blonde girl suddenly swallowed, eyes becoming misty._

 _"I need your help…," she softly whispered, eyes pleading as she walked closer._

 _Hermione watched as she reached down, pulling up her sleeve._

 _"I want out."_

 _There, on Daphne Greengrass' flawless skin, was the Dark Mark in bold, black ink._

* * *

All of the oxygen seemed to escape from Hermione's lungs as her eyes focused in on the mark, the dark ink such a contrast from her fair skin. Daphne Greengrass stood stock still, aside from the slight trembling, waiting for Hermione to say something, anything. Only, Hermione didn't know what to say. She had never anticipated… _this_.

Her eyes slowly rose to meet Greengrass' and any remark she had, she swallowed with one look into her eyes.

Greengrass was _terrified_.

The Slytherin was obviously trying to hide it, but Hermione could see the panic swirling within their depths. Before her wasn't the normal confident, fierce girl. At this moment, Greengrass was not her usual cold self who was always so put together. At this moment, Greengrass was a scared little girl who feared for her life, who feared for the mistake she had made, and the possible mistake that she could be currently making.

Greengrass took a risk in revealing all of this to Hermione. She had no reason to doubt that Hermione could just simply report her to Dumbledore.

A million thoughts ran through Hermione's head, and she didn't know where to even begin to start, so she simply said:

"Why?"

Hermione, first and foremost, wanted to know _why_. What could possibly compel someone to dedicate their life to serving a monstrosity of a person? Even worse, what would drive them to get a permanent symbol of that dedication and servitude?

Greengrass bit her lip and swallowed before shrugging, a sad and regretful look in her eyes.

"…because I was a fool."

The words were whispered so quietly that Hermione had a hard time hearing them. She glanced away, unable to look into Daphne's eyes.

Hermione licked her lips, resisting the urge to back away from the girl. She suddenly thought of something, perking up. She looked up with a frown.

"Why did you come to _me_?"

Greengrass sighed, rubbing her arms.

"I overheard you and Weasley talking…about Blaise…and Draco," Daphne said, eyes snapping up to meet hers.

Hermione sharply inhaled, eyes widening.

"I…"

"Relax, Granger. Despite my curiosity as to how that even happened, I don't particularly care, at least not now, anyway. I just…I figured that…well, since…"

Hermione put the pieces together with a sigh.

"Since I knew about Malfoy and had a relationship with Blaise, that I'd be more open to hearing you out," Hermione finished.

The other girl nodded.

"I suppose…that it is safe to assume that you and Malfoy aren't the only ones in the school…"

Greengrass' silence was Hermione's answer.

"How many?"

The blonde suddenly shook her head, locking eyes with Hermione.

"I-I can't tell you anything more until you promise my safety," Greengrass forced out.

Hermione sighed, glancing away.

"How do I know that this isn't a trick? How can I possibly trust you? My history with Slytherins as of late…has not been the easiest, and the cuts are still fresh," Hermione spat.

Daphne glanced at the clock, noting that detention was almost over.

"Meet me at the top of the Astronomy Tower tomorrow night…and bring Weasley."

"What could you possibly want with Ginny?"

"You want to know that you can trust me, right? You'll see…"

* * *

Ginny scoffed in disbelief, back leaning against the wall as she processed all of this. Greengrass…she couldn't believe it. Well, in actuality, she _could_ believe it, it was just…

"I don't know, Hermione. I mean…after everything you just went through with Zabini and Malfoy? This seems a little _too_ convenient," Ginny said, pushing herself upright.

Hermione bit her lip, clenched fist held up to her chin as she paced.

"You don't think I've thought that? Believe me, I've had that same exact thought a million times. I wouldn't put it past them, past any of them, but…"

Hermione suddenly paused, looking up at Ginny.

"You didn't see her, Ginny. She was so…so scared. She was terrified, and she should be," Hermione whispered.

Ginny sighed, swallowing as she stepped away from the wall, gazing out over the fairly empty school grounds, eyes solemn.

"It's really happening. I mean…Cedric Diggory and The Department of Mysteries was one thing, but now?"

Ginny turned around to face Hermione, eyes troubled.

"They're turning teenagers, kids who should be having the time of their lives, into…soldiers. If she's being sincere, I doubt she had much say in the matter…"

"Well…she said she did it because she was foolish," Hermione said.

Ginny let out a humorless laugh.

"How much of a choice do you think she really had? Suppose she did refuse? Suppose she kept putting it off? You think they'd say 'Okay, sweetie. Take your time'? You think they'd tell her that it's okay if she didn't want the mark? You think they'd pat her on the head and send her off? No, I doubt there was hardly a choice, at all," Ginny sneered.

Hermione nodded in agreement, heart aching at the thought of being put in such a position.

"Well? What do you want to do?"

Ginny sighed.

"I'll go with you, tonight. We'll be prepared in case there's any funny business, but if she is being truthful… We have to help her. We have to try…"

"And Dumbledore? Shouldn't we say something to him?"

Ginny pursed her lips, glancing down.

"I'm not sure…"

* * *

"How was detention?"

She looked up as Harry took his seat across from her. Hermione resisted the urge to glance towards the Slytherin table, eyes seeking out Greengrass' form.

"It was detention," she shrugged.

Harry eyed her.

"Greengrass didn't say anything to you?"

Hermione swallowed, the Dark Mark flashing before her eyes.

"No, and why would she?"

Harry shrugged with a sigh.

"I don't know. I just thought that maybe she might have let something slip," Harry replied.

"Harry, I think that you're making the Slytherin house out to be dumber than they are. If any of them are following _him_ , they're not going to be so careless. They're referred to as cunning for a reason," she said.

"Yeah, I know, I just… I still have to lay low for a while, and there isn't much else I can do aside from following any of them, and right now, my biggest suspect is Malfoy," he huffed.

"Who put you into the infirmary, remember?"

"Don't remind me. I just…she has to be one of them, or at least know _something_ -."

"Harry, stop it," she firmly stated, grabbing his hand.

The last thing she needed was for him to focus on Greengrass and start tailing her too.

"Take a deep breath and -."

"If you say relax, Hermione, I swear on Godric's grave that I will scream," Harry spat.

Hermione sighed.

"You know, sometimes I think that I'm the only one who cares…"

Hermione scoffed.

"That is not true, and you know it. We care. Okay? We understand your fears, we sympathize with your fears, _hell_ , we have your fears too! It's just…we have school and other crap to worry about. We still have normal lives to lead. We cannot let this consume us, Harry. Besides, if this school is as overrun with them as you suspect, do you honestly think it wise to let them know that we're on to them? You know he has no qualms about killing off _kids_ ," Hermione stressed.

Harry heaved a sigh, reluctant to admit that she was correct.

"Look, I get it, Harry. I'm on your side, but sometimes, you can get a bit caught up in this, and you know it. Isn't your first Quidditch match coming up soon?"

Harry nodded.

"Yeah? Focus on that for now. Just step back and take a breather," she quietly said.

Harry shakily nodded, glancing away, eyes glassy.

"He's just…he's taken so much from me, Hermione…"

Hermione squeezed his hand, frowning as he swallowed.

"…and every time, I could do nothing but watch, powerless to stop it, to do _anything,_ " he spat.

"I know, I know…"

"I don't want to sit back and watch anymore, Hermione. I can't, I refuse…," he scoffed "…to be the Chosen One, I feel pretty bloody useless."

"Don't say that. We're here. I'm here, Ron's here, and Ginny's here. We're all here, and I am going to make it my duty to make sure that he takes nothing else away from you. I promise…"

* * *

"I'm busy tonight, so I guess that leaves tomorrow evening then," Hermione mumbled, stuffing her books and notes into her bag.

Draco said nothing as he watched her, clearly in a hurry to exit the classroom, to get away from _him_.

Hermione could hardly believe her luck. Having the duels in two weeks wasn't enough, no, Snape wanted them to practice outside of the classroom as well. She had the faint inkling that he had done this on purpose due to her denied request of a switch in partners.

"Hermione…"

Hermione stiffened, heart beat increasing as she wished that they weren't the only ones left in the classroom, everyone else having already filed out, Snape included.

"I told you…not to call me that," she said.

"There's nothing else I want to call you," he replied, much closer now.

She swallowed, opting to ignore him and continue.

"Talk to him, Hermione… _please_ ," he begged.

She spun around, eyes blazing.

"You know, it's almost cute how much you two care about each other. If only he cared about me half as much as he does about you," she spat.

Malfoy looked down at her with those piercing eyes, so close that she could smell the lingering scent of his body wash that still clung to his skin.

"Just let him explain," he tried to reason.

"Why don't you explain, huh? Since there's something else that needs to be explained, why don't you just tell me?"

Malfoy clenched his jaw, looking away.

"It's not exactly my place," he said.

Hermione scoffed, finding an odd humor in that.

"It's not exactly your place," she repeated.

She shook her head.

"You have a weird view of…boundaries," she sneered, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

Before she could leave, her wrist was suddenly in an iron grip, her world spinning and her chest colliding with his. She let out a soft gasp as she laid one hand on his chest to steady herself as she looked up at him. Whatever he was about to say, he clearly forgot as he ran his eyes over face, drinking her in.

Hermione suddenly shoved herself away from his, fists clenched at her sides.

"You hated me with a passion before, Malfoy. You've got what you wanted and then some, so go back to hating me," she hissed, exiting the classroom.

* * *

 _"I love you, Draco, like a brother, but…"_

 _Blaise shook his head, eyes hard and determined as he stared the blond down._

 _"I'm not going to be selfless in this case. I'm not just going to…back out for feelings that may or may not be fleeting," Blaise scoffed._

 _Draco expected this response, so he wasn't surprised. It had taken him a while to admit, but it seemed that his friend really did care about the curly haired Gryffindor. Draco bowed his head, resting his forehead on his clasped hands._

 _"I'm sorry, Draco, but I'm not just going to… I'm not letting her go."_

 _Draco resisted the urge to punch him. He was in the wrong here, not Blaise. He sighed, standing up and gazing at his friend._

 _"After everything I've done for you-."_

 _"She's not some wand or a fancy broomstick, Draco! She's… This is nonnegotiable. **Forget it** ," Blaise spat._

 _"You fall for a different girl every other month, Blaise! I've never…-."_

 _Draco cut himself off, chest heaving._

 _"She's different, and you know she's different, otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation, right now," Draco said._

 _"Forget it. Find another girl, there's no shortage of them," Blaise hissed._

 _"I won't be able to let this go, Blaise. I can't…"_

 _Blaise clenched his jaw, glaring at his best friend, fingers curling into fists._

 _"So is this it, then?"_

 _Draco looked away, not wanting to answer that. No, he didn't want this to be it, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to just sit back and… He shook his head._

 _"I…I like her. There, I said it, Blaise. I was jealous, and that isn't going to change."_

 _"I'm not giving her up, so like I said before, find a way to get over it," Blaise firmly stated._

 _Draco suddenly blinked._

 _"What if…what if you didn't have to let her go? What if neither one of us did?"_

 _Blaise spun around, eyes wide as they locked with Draco's. Draco raised an eyebrow as Blaise strode towards him, index finger pointed._

 _"No, no, absolutely not…"_

* * *

"I didn't think you'd come," Daphne's even voice said, the coolness of it reaching Hermione as they approached.

"Neither did I," Hermione replied.

Greengrass eyed Ginny as she stuffed her hands into her coat pockets, the chilly air a bit biting.

"…and you brought Weasley. Excellent."

"Why are we here?"

Ginny got straight to the point, already nervous.

"Granger wanted to make sure that she could trust me, so this is me proving that I am trustworthy," Daphne said.

Hermione frowned in confusion, waiting for Daphne to elaborate.

"Weasley here will be our third. If you've never seen it done before, I'm sure Granger here can talk you through it. It wouldn't surprise me to know that she knows how it's done…"

Hermione blinked, eyebrows raising slightly in shock.

"What is she on about, Hermione?"

Hermione and Daphne locked eyes, brown and blue connecting and holding.

"It seems that Greengrass and I are going to make an Unbreakable Vow."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	17. Chapter 17

**My timeline is off. The Katie Bell/necklace incident happened _after_ the Slug Club dinner. I'll be looking at a Half Blood Prince timeline from now on to keep it as accurate as possible. **

**Someone told me they were bored with Daphne and wanted more Dramionaise, so I hope you're satisfied. If not, oh well.**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.**

* * *

 _"Weasley here will be our third. If you've never seen it done before, I'm sure Granger here can talk you through it. It wouldn't surprise me to know that she knows how it's done…"_

 _Hermione blinked, eyebrows raising slightly in shock._

 _"What is she on about, Hermione?"_

 _Hermione and Daphne locked eyes, brown and blue connecting and holding._

 _"It seems that Greengrass and I are going to make an Unbreakable Vow."_

* * *

"Where's Harry?"

Ron shrugged as Hermione sat down beside him at the table, noticing the absence of a certain raven-haired boy.

"He's off somewhere…again," Ron grumbled.

Hermione frowned.

"He knows we have practice later too," Ron huffed.

"I'm sure he'll show up," Hermione reassured, despite the fact that she herself doubted that.

"Sure, sure. Where did you and Ginny run off to last night? I wanted to ask you for help about this whole duel business Snape has us doing, but I couldn't find either one of you…"

...

 _"No! Absolutely not," Ginny snapped._

 _"It's not your decision, Weasley," Daphne coolly said._

 _"Hermione, if you break the vow, you die," Ginny said, trying to get this through her head._

 _"I know that, okay? This…this is the only way, though. Besides, if she breaks it, then she dies too, and she knows that," Hermione said, eyes cutting to Greengrass._

 _Ginny huffed, clearly not happy about this in the slightest, but opting to remain silent, knowing that this was not her choice._

 _"Well, Granger?"_

 _Hermione swallowed, forcing a deep breath before stepping forward, holding out her arm without hesitation._

 _..._

"We were in the library. I was helping Gin with some revision. I can help you out tomorrow night, though. How does that sound?"

Ron sighed.

"I swear, between you and Harry, pretty soon, I won't be able to keep track of either one of you," he grumbled.

* * *

Hermione was just on her way outside to meet with Malfoy when said Slytherin approached her, in quite the rush.

"We'll have to reschedule, Granger. Something's come up," he said, just barely passing by her.

It took Hermione a second for her brain to catch up.

"Hang on. Wait…," she called, slightly following behind him.

"We'll practice tomorrow," he said, exasperated.

"I've already promised someone else my time, Malfoy. This is part of our grade. Snape will be able to tell if we haven't practiced," she snapped.

She didn't care what personal matter he had to attend to, she wasn't going to sacrifice her marks for his personal life.

"Do you honestly believe he would even be able to tell if _we_ didn't practice as much as everyone else?"

She paused, noting that he had a point. However, that point was beside the point.

"That's not even the issue here. We're supposed to-."

She halted her steps as he suddenly stopped and turned around to face her, nose a hair's width away from her own.

"You've already done a number of things you aren't supposed to, Hermione…," he said, voice dropping.

Hermione's heart fluttered as he raked his eyes over her smaller frame.

"What's one more?"

Hermione said nothing, words caught in her throat as he turned around and sauntered off.

* * *

"What about you, Ms. Granger? What exactly does your family do…in the _Muggle world_ ," Slughorn curiously asked, seemingly fascinated by said world.

Hermione paused in her movements, caught off guard as she hesitantly looked up. She could feel eyes on her, one pair standing out more so than the rest, and she swallowed. Their eyes locked for half a second, and she quickly looked away.

"My parents are dentists…," she said, a hint of uneasiness in her voice as she noticed the looks of confusion.

 _"Dentists? What does a dentist do?"_

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Harry looking around, daring anyone to say anything negative, his eyes resting on Blaise the most. Blaise, however, was currently gazing at her, a small smirk on his lips, and tilted his head in the barest of nods. Hermione ignored this, yet could not quell the reassurance and confidence that had begun to spread.

"They tend to people's teeth," she continued, a bit louder.

Slughorn leaned forward, arms resting on the table as his interest grew.

"Fascinating! And…is that considered a dangerous profession?"

"No…"

She paused, the awkward silence getting to her.

"Although…," she chuckled "…one boy, Robbie Fenwick, did bite my father once. He needed ten stitches."

There was a slight chuckle across from her, and Hermione glanced up to catch Blaise lifting the spoon to his grinning lips. She looked down, an involuntary smile of her own tugging at her lips. That's right… She had never told him that…

Just then, the door came creeping open, drawing all of their attention away from Hermione.

"Ah, Ms. Weasley! Come in, come in," Slughorn ushered.

Hermione tried to catch Ginny's eye, but the redhead wouldn't dare look her way, and for good reason.

Hermione sharply inhaled.

"Look at her eyes…"

She leaned in towards Harry.

"They've been fighting again…her and Dean," she quietly continued.

Ginny walked towards her chair, clearing her throat.

"Sorry, I'm not usually late," she softly said.

The sentence was barely out of her mouth when Harry stood, the perfect gentleman, catching Hermione by surprise. She looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his behavior.

She didn't hear what Slughorn said, too focused on Harry as he sat down. He fidgeted, eyeing her.

"What?"

Hermione smiled with a shrug.

"Nothing," she lied, glancing at him every so often.

She did her best to hide her grin, looking up, and unfortunately, catching McLaggen's eye. His gaze never wavered at having been caught staring, instead, he brought his fingers up to his mouth, sucking on them in what she suspected was supposed to be an inviting manner.

Hermione grimaced, looking away and locking onto Blaise's form who was currently staring at McLaggen like he could kill him. She shook her head, determined to simply ignore him. She wasn't his anymore… What right did he have?

* * *

They all left Slugorn's dinner party one by one, Harry and Ginny leaving together after Hermione reassured them that she would be fine. Hermione briefly wondered if Ginny would have her fairytale ending, the one she always wanted with Harry. She knew that Ginny loved Dean, but Hermione also knew that their relationship was…rocky.

 _Maybe Harry will finally stop being the typical oblivious adolescent male,_ she thought with a chuckle.

"I wasn't surprised to see that you were invited…"

A familiar voice pulled her from her thoughts and pulled the grin from her lips. She pursed her lips, not breaking her stride as she walked down the dimly lit corridor. It was late, and the hall was empty, so it would be quite obvious that she'd heard him and had opted to ignore him. However, at the moment, Hermione didn't care a thing about manners.

"Potter and Weasley seem to be pretty cozy."

Hermione snorted at the change in topic. They both knew that he couldn't give a damn about Harry and Ginny. She turned around, finally facing him.

"What are you doing? I've made it perfectly clear that I don't want anything to do with you or your sidekick. Yet, neither one of you can seem to get the memo," she said.

Blaise walked towards her, and Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, standing her ground.

She swallowed as he approached, her eyes roaming over his shirt, memories plaguing her thoughts.

"I did a terrible thing…I know that, and I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Is this a sincere apology or is it like your last one? You know, half assed?"

Blaise sighed.

"It's real. I…I messed up…"

Hermione didn't respond, she didn't need to because they both knew it was true.

"I didn't come here to sway you or make any grand gestures. I just want to talk," he said, spreading his arms out.

"Funny. Lack of… _communication_ is how we got here," she said with a humorless chuckle.

"I should have talked to you-."

"Would that have been so hard? I mean… We both know that since we got together…in the grand scheme of things, some things just aren't important to me, not like they used to be. I have bigger worries than who knows that I'm sleeping around or whatnot. Why didn't you…?"

Hermione shook her head, angry all over again.

"Why…?"

Hermione could feel her eyes stinging, and she cursed herself for succumbing herself to this again.

"I…"

"I'm not upset that it happened. You know that, right? That that's not the issue here?"

Blaise frowned, eyes widening just a bit. Hermione shook her head again, letting out another laugh.

"I'm a big girl. Okay? I can admit it to myself and I can admit it to you. Despite the fact that Malfoy is an ass, _that_ is not the reason for all of this," she gestured to herself "…it's how you went about it."

Blaise said nothing.

"You betrayed my trust, Blaise. You knew how much I trusted you."

"I know-."

"Clearly you didn't! You obviously didn't know, or care, because you… _shattered_ it," Hermione shakily said.

She blinked and looked down, hair covering her face as her chest heaved. She bit her lip, shoulders trembling as her body was racked with inaudible sobs.

"Hermione," he whispered.

She felt his fingers sliding down her forearms, traveling to intertwine with her own. She shook her head, pushing him away.

"You hurt me. Do you get that? You…really hurt me," she said, looking up.

Blaise looked down, a troubled look on his face.

" _You_ hurt me. _You_ did this. I trusted _you_ …"

"I'm not upset about Malfoy's part in this, because honestly, I would be an idiot to be shocked. I'm upset at _your_ part in this," she tearfully spat.

"Hermione…," he reached out towards her.

"No! I did not spend night after night talking to _Malfoy_ for hours on end. I didn't tell _Malfoy_ all about how difficult it was for me growing up, knowing I was different, only to find out that I'm looked down upon in the Wizarding World too. I didn't tell him about how for a while, I felt that I was accepted _nowhere_. I didn't tell _him_ about how much I struggled with that…"

"Hermione, please…"

"I didn't spill my guts out about Ron to _him_. I didn't tell _him_ all about how much Ginny means to me. I didn't kiss _Malfoy_ at the top of the Astronomy Tower and I sure as hell didn't lose my virginity to _him_."

Blaise clenched his jaw, eyes downcast.

"That was you. That was all you, Blaise. All of that is…stained, ruined, dirty now, and for what? B-because you wanted to make up with your friend and handed me off like a-."

"I wanted all of us to be together!"

Hermione paused, taken off guard by his change in demeanor and by his response. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she gazed at him. Blaise softly scoffed, shaking his head.

"Draco likes you, Hermione," he said with a shrug.

Hermione blinked, unsure of what emotion to settle with as she looked at him. He was joking, he had to be.

"What," she breathed.

He ran a hand down his face, heaving a sigh.

"He likes you. No, he didn't go about handling it in the best way. In fact, I'd say he handled it in the worst way possible, but…he likes you."

Hermione opened her mouth, but said nothing.

"Believe me, we've fought and fought about it. I…care about you so much and he's never been affected like this by a girl before. Neither one of us wanted to be a good friend and just…back off."

Hermione's frown deepened as she listened to this, becoming more and more uneasy by the minute. Blaise shook his head, eyes towards the ceiling.

"I was against it at first, Hermione. I didn't… Draco didn't want me to say anything, not the truth, anyway, and I know how that would look if I didn't. Exactly how it's been looking," he continued.

"I don't believe this," Hermione whispered.

Blaise met her gaze, a frown marring his features.

"If I chose you, I would have lost my best friend. If I chose Draco and his feelings over my own, I would've lost…you. I didn't want to lose either one of you, so, like an idiot, I followed his advice. I took a chance and it did not turn out in my favor."

He took a step towards her.

"No, I didn't think it all the way through. Yes, I went about it in the worst way possible. I just want all of us to be happy, Hermione."

Blaise reached for her, but Hermione backed up.

"Both of you mean the world to me, and I just wanted to keep both of you in my life, in whatever way possible…"

Hermione swallowed, processing all of this as she backed up. She opened her mouth to say something, but simply settled on shaking her head in disbelief. She turned around and walked away, body plagued with confusion, and Blaise did not stop her.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	18. Chapter 18

**An update!**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

 **Also, I'm definitely killing someone off in this story.**

* * *

Hermione stared ahead as the chatter around her soon faded into a muffled buzzing sound, the background noise to her thoughts. Her food was left untouched, friends forgotten as her mind ran rampant. _Both of you mean the world to me, and I just wanted to keep both of you in my life, in whatever way possible_.

Hermione pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth as she brought her hand up to her chin, Blaise's last words on a loop within her mind. _He couldn't have possibly meant that? Could he?_ Hermione immediately shook her head. _No, absolutely not_. It was such a… _preposterous_ idea! The three of them…together…exclusively… She shook her head again. He had to be lying, a last ditch effort to try and win her back…but…

Despite everything that had happened, Hermione knew Blaise. As much as she had denied it, she had grown to really care for him, and she knew him like the back of her hand. She knew when he was lying…and when he wasn't. Hermione clenched her jaw together, running her hand through her hair. Deep down, she knew that Blaise had been nothing but honest that night. So that begged the question;

What did this mean?

"Hermione!"

Hermione jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion on her thoughts. She glanced around to see her friends giving her strange looks, Lavender included who was currently attached to Ron.

"S-sorry. Um…what?"

"I was just telling them about the little Halloween get together that Ravenclaw is putting together for next week," Ginny said, gazing at Hermione with a frown, wondering if her friend was okay.

"Oh! Uh…that sounds like fun," Hermione said, mind already drifting.

"We're all going. You should come with us," Ron added.

Hermione blinked, lightly shaking her head.

"I don't-."

"Oh, come on, Granger! Do something fun for once," the curly haired blonde threw in.

Ginny threw Lavender a scathing look, one that the older girl missed while Hermione wondered if she should be offended by such a statement. Hermione sighed in defeat.

"Sure, why not," she said with a forced smile.

"That's the spirit!"

"Are you okay? You seem quite distracted today," Harry suddenly said, reaching towards her.

"That's an understatement, Harry. She's been distracted all week," Ron remarked, stuffing his face.

"What's the matter, Granger? Are you having boyfriend troubles?"

Ron choked on his food, making the most disgusting sound as he tried not to die while Harry's face simply drained of all color, staring at Lavender as if she were mental.

"What? I'm just saying… I know that look," she said with a shrug.

"I have to go," Hermione said with a sigh, suddenly very uncomfortable.

Ginny watched her go, a suspicious frown forming as Ron finally composed himself, looking at Harry with wide eyes.

"You don't think she's really hiding a boyfriend from us, do you?"

Harry simply said nothing, eyes narrowing as he watched the doors close behind her.

* * *

Hermione landed on her back with a gasp, the dampness from the ground sticking to her clothing. She forced herself to sit up, hands pressed into the dirt behind her as she panted. Her body ached, a result from being thrown about like a rag doll. She snatched her wand up, dirty and annoyed, despite the fact that it was her own fault, really.

She stood up with a huff, brushing her pants off with one hand, the other reaching back to rub her head. She was so-.

"You're distracted."

The husky voice sent chills down her frame, and she coldly looked up at him from beneath her lashes. He stood about three yards away from her, not a hair out of place, a result from her lack of concentration. They had been practicing for about an hour and she had yet to land one hit on him.

 _Draco likes you, Hermione_.

She placed her hand on her hips, chest heaving as she glared at him. What a… _child_! If Blaise was indeed telling the truth, then that would mean that Malfoy had been acting like a five year old with a crush, only ten times worse. She fought the urge to scream. She detested both of them now more than ever.

She had been doing okay. She was moving on, slowly, but it was still happening. She had been determined to forget about the both of them and now… What right did Blaise have to tell her that? Why would he _do_ this to her? Hadn't he already done enough?

"Granger…"

"What, Malfoy," she hissed.

He scoffed, hard eyes gazing at her as she looked up at him.

"What the fuck is your problem?"

She shook her head, walking back to stand directly in front of him.

"Nothing. Let's do it again," she said.

"I think we should take a break," he proposed.

"…and I disagree," she countered.

"Well, it's a good thing that I don't really give too much of a flying fuck about whether or not you agree," he responded.

Hermione fumed as he turned to walk away, heading towards his bag lying against a tree. She narrowed her eyes, and with a flick of her wand, Malfoy was twirling through the air. She took great satisfaction in the grunt that escaped his mouth as he harshly landed on his back.

"Like I said…I disagree…"

Malfoy pushed himself up onto his feet, glaring at her through the hair hanging in front of his eyes as he brushed himself off. Hermione threw up a _Protego_ just before he aimed his wand at her. She backed up as he threw spell after spell, Hermione deflecting every one, her concentration perfectly intact now.

The distance between them began to decrease as he advanced on her, and Hermione found herself with nowhere else to go. One of his spells hit the grass beside her, momentarily distracting her, and she soon found herself without a wand. Before her mind could catch up with these turn of events, she found her back pressed against a tree and the tip of his wand at her throat.

Her chest heaved as he gazed down at her, and Hermione could not find it in herself to hold his gaze. She glanced away, missing the way his eyes narrowed. Malfoy stepped closer, his wand digging into her skin. His chest brushed hers as he towered over her, the scent of him floating around her.

 _Draco likes you, Hermione_.

She closed her eyes, turning her head away.

"He told you…didn't he?"

Hermione swallowed, heart racing as she shook her head.

"I have no idea what you're-."

"Don't lie, _Hermione_. It's so unbecoming," he whispered.

She turned to face him, intending to chew him out, only to find that their lips were barely an inch apart.

"He told you," he repeated.

"What does it matter?"

"…and you're just going to pretend like nothing happened?"

Once again, she said;

"What does it matter? It changes nothing," she spat, ignoring the sour taste such words left in her mouth.

Malfoy's gaze grew heated as he trailed the tip of his wand down her shirt, eyes following its path.

"I'm sorry. Is that what you wanted to hear, that I acted like a complete wanker? That I acted like a toddler with a crush?"

"I don't want your insincere apology. I don't want anything from you," she quietly hissed, reaching out to shove him away.

His hands were faster, catching her wrists and pinning them against the tree beside her head. His eyes bore into hers as he leaned in, eyes drinking her in.

"We both know that's not true. What did I _just_ say about lying, Hermione?"

"I already told you to stop calling me that," she breathed, lips trembling.

"Why?"

He brushed his nose against hers.

"…because I don't like it," she whispered.

"Why don't I believe that?"

He pressed his hips against her own, pinning her lower half to the tree as his mouth parted, his bottom lip brushing against her top one. Hermione's eyelashes fluttered as he ground his hips against hers, throat closing up.

"Malfoy…"

"Yes?"

Hermione swallowed, suddenly shaking her head and shoving against him. She ran towards her wand, picking it up from its place on the ground.

"Hermione!"

"No!"

She spun around, hair flying and eyes wild.

"You treated me like crap, Malfoy. I don't care if it was your twisted way of coping with your hidden feelings for me or whatever. You were so cruel to me. Some of the things you said, and did…" she shook her head "…You made me feel like dirt, and you _still_ got what you wanted in the end."

Malfoy frowned.

"What Blaise told me changes nothing. I don't have to do a damn thing about it because neither of you deserve that. I shouldn't even have to explain myself to you."

Malfoy's clenched his jaw, eyes hardening as she continued.

"I don't care if you've never felt like this about another girl. _I don't care_. You don't get to treat people like scum and still have everything work out in your favor," she harshly said, turning away from him.

She had barely taken two steps when there was suddenly a harsh tug on her arm. Her world was spinning and her hand slapped against his chest as his lips descended over her own. She gasped in surprise, eyes widening as one of his hands came up to cradle the back of her head.

Hermione's fingers clutched at his shirt as he tilted her head to the side, his tongue seeking out her own, eliciting an involuntary moan from her. Her heart raced as his other hand gripped her waist, pulling her closer so that her chest was flush with his. Hermione found herself deepening the kiss and sighed when he pulled away, teeth lightly biting her bottom lip as he did so.

They stared at one another, before Hermione blinked, bringing her fingers up to her mouth. She shakily pushed away from him, springing away like a bat out of hell.

* * *

"Hermione, are you sure that everything is okay? Zabini hasn't been bothering you, has he?"

Hermione debated saying anything to Ginny. About what Blaise had told her and about the kiss. However, even she herself didn't know what was going on. While she understood Blaise's twisted logic, that definitely didn't make it right.

"Hermione?"

She turned to face Ginny with a small smile.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just…thinking about this Daphne situation," she lied.

Ginny exhaled with a nod.

"Yeah. I can't…even imagine what that must be like. Imagine how desperate she really is to have come to you of all people," Ginny agreed.

"I hope that…that I can help her," Hermione said.

"You can, and you will. If anybody can, it's you," Ginny said, resting her hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"…but what if I can't? I'm just one person, and if I can't help her…who knows what could happen to her," Hermione wondered, voicing her insecurities.

"Hermione, I'm here. Don't forget that, and if it comes down to it, we can always tell Dumbledore," Ginny reassured.

"I hope that you're right in thinking that not telling him might be for the best, right now…"

Ginny sighed, wanting to change the subject in order to cheer Hermione up a bit.

"So…you know Slughorn's Christmas Party?"

Hermione nodded, noting that it was roughly two months away.

"I was thinking of inviting Dean," Ginny continued.

"That's…great," Hermione said with a frown.

Ginny tilted her head to the side.

"Why do I get the feeling that you don't really mean that?"

"No, I do. It's just that…you and Dean have been fighting so much lately, and I thought that you and Harry were getting on rather well," Hermione voiced.

Ginny sighed, looking out onto the school grounds.

"Harry and me…it's never going to happen, Hermione."

Hermione's frown deepened.

"Why not? I thought… Ginny, you've practically loved him since you first laid eyes on him," Hermione said.

"Exactly! It was…childish. I basically worshipped him, and that's not healthy. Not to mention that he was pretty much a hero to me. I loved the idea of him, and within the past year I've realized that Harry is just a boy like any other boy. I put him up on this…pedestal, and that wasn't right. Maybe I'll fall in love with him again one day, the real him, but until then…he's just a really good friend," she said with a shrug.

Hermione looked down with a nod, trying hard not to think about how Harry had been looking at Ginny as of late.

* * *

Hermione was on her way back from the library, headed for the common room, when a flurry of teachers ran past her. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, they were heading in the same direction as her. Luckily enough, there didn't seem to be many other students around, maybe two or three.

Those few students watched in fright, along with herself, as the teachers crowded around a prone figure on the floor. It was three of them, one of them Professor McGonagall as they tended to the student. When one of them moved, Hermione gasped, recognizing McLaggen.

Hermione stepped closer, clutching her bags as she raked her eyes over him. His pristine white shirt was smeared with a growing red stain originating from his chest. He coughed, a wet sound that indicated internal bleeding. Hermione pressed her hand to her mouth as McGonagall levitated him, no doubt to the infirmary, not paying Hermione or the other few students mind.

Hermione swallowed, wondering what on earth could have happened to him, when a hand came to rest on the small of her back. Hermione recognized his cologne, and turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I sure hope that he knows how to take a hint…"

Her eyes widened as a Malfoy like smirk fell over Blaise's lips.

"I'd hate for him to wind up dead."

* * *

 **Bloop. Let me know what you think!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Anybody who read my first story ever, Tainted (the original draft) will probably be able to recognize some similarities within this chapter. After all, Devilish is what Tainted was originally supposed to be.**

 **Also, I'm trying to decide if I want any Slash to happen in this fic. I'm still undecided at the moment. I saw some of you asking about that.**

 **Also, you're going to hate me.**

 **Disclaimer: I Own Nothing**

* * *

"Do you know what he is planning?"

Daphne shook her head, a negative, and Hermione sighed. It came as no surprise to Hermione that Daphne was left in the dark about a lot of things. However, it was still disappointing. Despite the fact that she had suspected such, she had still allowed herself to hope that Daphne would be able to tell them much more.

"…but Malfoy is one, correct? I mean, Hermione here says she saw the mark, but I kind of just want some more confirmation," Ginny threw in and Hermione threw her a look.

Ginny had been quite suspicious as of late regarding Hermione, and she wanted to remind the older girl just whose side Malfoy, and his sidekick, were on…in case she forgot.

"Yes. He was…the first to take the mark," Daphne said.

Hermione's eyebrows slightly rose in surprise at this piece of information.

"Do you know why that is? Does it have something to do with his family or…?"

"I think he's doing something for You-Know-Who. I can't be sure, but…after he took the mark, he was spending a lot of time with him."

Hermione's frown deepened and her heart skipped a beat as she processed this. She swallowed, recalling the feel of his lips on hers, wondering to herself if she would ever be able to put it behind her.

"Harry was right. Before school started, he saw Malfoy in Borgin and Burkes, claimed that it was some sort of initiation," Ginny said.

"It more than likely did have something to do with You-Know-Who, but…it wasn't an initiation," Daphne said, shaking her head.

"How do you know?"

Daphne took a deep breath, crossing her arms over her chest, shifting her feet.

"Before each of us take the mark, we have to go through an initiation of sorts. It's…a task that we have to complete. It has to be done in front of the Dark Lord himself, the rest of the Death Eaters…and the future prospects," Daphne mumbled.

Hermione could tell that Daphne was avoiding the topic of what the task was exactly, and she had a gut feeling that she wasn't going to like it at all. Hermione didn't want to push, Daphne was clearly uncomfortable, but she wanted, and needed, to know. Ginny beat her to it, however.

"What's the task?"

Daphne swallowed, blue eyes brighter than ever as she looked up with furrowed eyebrows.

"We…we're to kill a…a muggle," she quietly said, eyes resting on Hermione as if she were seeking forgiveness.

Hermione blinked, surprisingly not surprised. She heard Ginny's sharp intake of breath behind her.

"You can be quick about it, use the killing curse and get it over with," Daphne hurried to say, trying to make it sound less awful than it was.

That wasn't possible, by the way. It was horrible whatever way you put it.

"I sense an 'or'," Ginny said.

"…or you can…have fun with it. They encourage that," Daphne said, looking down.

"…and I assume you were quick about it," Hermione presumed.

Daphne nodded. Her eyes glossed over, recalling the even with something akin to a mix of revulsion and shame.

"I wanted to be sick. I think…I think that was when I realized just what I had gotten myself into," Daphne whispered.

"…and Malfoy? Was he quick about it?"

Hermione clenched her jaw, determined to hold her tongue, lest she let something slip as Ginny asked this question.

Daphne frowned.

"I don't think that you want to know the answer," she hesitantly said.

Hermione's heart sank, and she swallowed.

"Why did he take the mark," she suddenly asked.

"Because he's an evil son of a bitch, duh," Ginny threw in.

"I'd heard the primary reason was because You-Know-Who threatened his family. He's been on their case ever since Malfoy Sr.'s fuck up at the Department of Mysteries," Daphne said.

Hermione heard Ginny scoff beside her.

"Right," she said, unconvinced.

"Why are you doing this, Daphne? It has to be more than because you're scared," Hermione suddenly said.

Daphne straightened, eyes hard.

"I don't want Astoria to make the same mistakes I did. I want to protect her, because _this_ ," she rolled up her sleeve, showcasing the mark "…this is a death sentence. I want her to know that there is another way. I won't let her follow in my footsteps. I'll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening, even if it kills me…"

* * *

"Stop that," Ginny spat, slapping Hermione's hand away.

Hermione huffed, warily gazing at herself in the mirror, fingering the costume.

"I don't know about this," Hermione said, tilting her head to the side.

She didn't even want to go to this little shindig, let alone dress up for it. Ginny wrapped her arms around Hermione's waist from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder.

"Hermione, you look hot, okay? Plus, with everything that you're dealing with, don't you think you deserve to have a little fun?"

Hermione sighed in defeat, reluctant to agree.

"I suppose so…," she trailed off.

"You need to get a little smashed and find a nice looking young man to occupy your time," Ginny proposed.

Hermione didn't exactly agree with _that_ part, but Ginny was partially right. She deserved to let loose and enjoy herself, even if only for an hour or two.

"I hear that McLaggen is out of the infirmary, fully recovered from his little freak accident with his wand. I also happen to know that he fancies you…"

Hermione grimaced, recalling the incident from last week with Blaise. The tall, dark, and handsome Slytherin had immediately slipped away, leaving her to wonder just what in the world his cryptic statement had meant. Surely, he had nothing to do with McLaggen…right?

Blaise could be jealous, she'd seen it for herself, but he would never go to such extremes. Furthermore, the two of them weren't even together anymore. Blaise was somewhat sensible, and even he had to know that he had no right to be envious. Especially since she didn't even care for McLaggen.

"I don't know about that Ginny-."

"Hermione, he's charming, handsome, and I hear he's great in bed."

"Ginny!"

Hermione turned around with a shriek, wide eyed at Ginny's implication.

Ginny laughed, shrugging her shoulders as she pulled away.

It wasn't long before they were entering Ravenclaw's common room, or at least, what she assumed was their common room. It was clear that someone had used an extension charm because the round room was huge. It looked about the size of the Great Hall, and Hermione looked around with unease.

Ron had told her a 'little get together'. There was absolutely nothing little about this. The majority of the people were congregated in the center of the room, while odd groups were spread out around the walls here and there. It looked as if every fifth year and up had been invited, and from every house too. Hermione grimaced as she caught a glimpse of Theodore Nott. If Nott was here, what were the chances that one of them were here as well?

Ginny waved with a grin as she spotted Dean, and she dragged Hermione along as she went to greet her boyfriend. Hermione looked away as they kissed, pulling away to talk about something that they both were apparently very happy about.

"Did I tell you that Dean replaced Katie on the team?"

Hermione shook her head, throwing in a 'congratulations'.

"It was Harry's idea," Dean said with a shrug, wrapping his arm around Ginny's waist.

Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise, wondering why in the world Harry would ever do such a thing like that.

"Is McLaggen here," Ginny suddenly asked, forcing Hermione to glare at her.

Ginny simply winked before facing Dean again.

"Yeah, I saw Cormac in that area about fifteen minutes ago," Dean said, pointing to the far right corner of the room.

"Excellent. I'll be right back," Ginny said, dragging Hermione with her.

"Ginny, I'm not too fond of this idea," Hermione said.

Ginny turned around, a look of understanding on her features.

"You liked Zabini, I get it…"

"I liked him a lot, okay? I can admit it, now, and I'm trying, I really am, but…it isn't going to happen overnight, Ginny. Especially not with McLaggen. He's just…he creeps me out," Hermione said with a disgusted frown, shuddering.

"Are you sneaking around with him?"

Ginny's sudden question threw Hermione for a loop.

"No!"

Hermione frowned as Ginny frowned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I feel like you're hiding something from me. Are you sneaking around with his BFF?"

"…no."

Ginny stared at Hermione before pursing her lips, eyes narrowed.

"You're lying," Ginny sighed, disappointed.

Hermione exhaled, rubbing her temple.

"We…kissed," she reluctantly admitted.

Ginny's eyes bulged to an almost comical size. Part of her had hoped that it was just her imagination, she didn't expect it to be true.

" _What?_ "

"He kissed me, okay? It just happened," Hermione defended.

"Did you kiss him back?"

Hermione figured that it was best to just remain quiet. Ginny shook her head with a scoff.

"I can't believe this. How did I become the sensible one? When did _that_ happen?"

"Ginny…"

Ginny placed her hand on her hip.

"Do they have some rare form of magic in their pants that I don't know about? No, really, because _this_ is ridiculous. He has the mark, Hermione, or have you forgotten that?"

"Of course I haven't," Hermione hissed.

"You heard what Daphne said. He is one of them through and through," Ginny harshly whispered.

"It was just one kiss-."

"And when will that turn into 'I got caught up in the heat of the moment'? Pretty soon that's going to be 'That was the last time, I swear'. I don't want to see you get hurt or worse…"

Hermione remained silent. Ginny stepped closer, lowering her voice enough so that only Hermione would be able to hear.

"You are Harry Potter's best friend, one of the biggest threats against Voldemort himself. Now, tell me… What do you think the son of Lucius Malfoy would have to gain by seducing you?"

Hermione looked away.

"Don't be stupid," Ginny spat, brushing past her, leaving Hermione on the dance floor alone.

Hermione closed her eyes, a sinking feeling in her chest as she admitted to the truth in Ginny's words. However, there was also truth in Hermione's. It _was_ just one kiss, one that she did not initiate herself, and one that she did not plan on repeating…with either of them.

She opted out of telling Ginny what Blaise had told her about the three of them being together like one fucked up happy family. She shook her head, suddenly not in the party mood.

"What's got you so down?"

She looked up to see a cup held out towards her, and she smiled at the face attached to the arm.

"I don't…I don't really want to talk about it. Besides, I could ask you the same thing," she said, accepting his offer.

Harry sighed as they walked towards the wall.

"I replaced Katie with Dean…"

"I know. Ginny told me, and all I could think was 'idiot'. You really are a masochist, huh?"

Harry rolled his eyes, sulking.

"I just…I wanted to be nice, you know? She seems to be rather fond of him…"

"Well, she _is_ sleeping with him, so…," Hermione trailed off.

She cringed, immediately regretting her words with one look at Harry's face.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

He frowned.

"Ron and I caught them kissing after practice. I… She's really over me…isn't she?"

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in concern at the bitterness in his voice.

"Harry…"

"I've lost my chance, haven't I?"

Hermione pressed her lips together, leaning against the wall beside him, overlooking the partygoers.

"Feelings change all the time, Harry. There's no doubt in my mind that hers could change back some day…"

"She already told you, didn't she?"

"…She hasn't said a thing to me," Hermione lied.

Harry sighed.

"I know you're lying. It's okay… Maybe this is what I get for being too caught up in Cho, someone who only ever viewed me as a second choice, anyway."

Hermione was about to reply when a certain 7th year Gryffindor caught her eye. He smiled, showcasing his perfect pearly whites that would have made any other girl weak at the knees. Hermione simply frowned, mouth twisting.

Harry followed her gaze, and his eyebrows furrowed, recalling Lavender's insinuation of Hermione's secret lover.

"Are you and McLaggen…?"

"Merlin, no. Sorry, Harry, but I have to go. When he gets over here, just tell him I left," she said, pushing through the moving bodies of students.

She was halfway through the room, when her arm was caught in a rather flimsy grasp. She found herself spinning right into a toned chest, and her eyes landed on fair skin and a sharp jawbone. At first, Hermione worried that her luck had run out, and she had run into Malfoy.

However, the deep blue eyes that met her gaze told her differently. His jet black hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat as he looked down at her, his grin almost predatory.

"Granger," he purred "…dance with me."

He didn't leave room for argument as he began swaying her around the other students who paid them no mind.

"Nott, just what do you think you are doing?"

Hermione was more amused than annoyed. Despite the fact that Nott had been involved in Blaise's little plot to corner her, she always viewed the low-key Slytherin as rather harmless. He let out a rather dramatic sigh.

"I was growing quite bored of this little soiree, and then I spotted you and figured the night was still young," he said.

She shook her head, not really in a rush to part from him just yet. McLaggen was probably on the prowl…

She glanced up, noticing his stare and looked away with a small frown.

"You're staring," she mumbled.

He pulled her closer, his hand at the small of her back.

"I know," he whispered.

"Can you stop?"

He tilted his head to the side, piercing blue eyes drinking her in, making her skin crawl.

"Hmm…I see the appeal," he murmured.

Her frown deepened.

"What?"

"Blaise and Draco…I see the appeal," he repeated.

Her heart skipped a beat, an uneasy feeling growing in her stomach.

"They…they talk about me?"

His grin grew, eyes dancing with mirth.

"Oh, yes. All the time… In fact, they're watching us, right now," he said, nodding over her shoulder.

She quickly looked around, hair flying, and her eyes widened as they landed on them.

They were near the entrance, leaning against the wall with a group of Slytherins. Draco was chatting with some girl, but it was obvious that she barely had a fraction of his attention. His eyes drifted to her ever so often. Blaise, on the other hand, did nothing to hide the fact that he was blatantly staring.

She turned back around, dipping her head as Nott laughed.

"Who knew that Hermione Granger would be the girl to wrap two of the most 'eligible bachelors' around her finger…"

She looked away, and Nott smirked, a dark look passing through his eyes.

"…and she didn't even have to try," he finished, sounding impressed.

"I really don't want to talk about this with you of all people. I don't even know why they told you-. What are you doing?"

Nott had begun to pull her closer, his arm tightening around her waist, the other coming up to grip her chin.

"They're going to murder me, but…I just want to see what all the fuss is about…"

Hermione had barely opened her mouth to protest when he fiercely pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened as his mouth moved against her own. She noted that he was a good kisser, but that didn't change the fact that this was wrong.

She shoved him away, lips trembling, looking at him as if he'd lost his mind. Nott licked his lips, his heated gaze focused on her.

"Not bad," he praised, a dark glint in his eyes as he looked over her shoulder.

Hermione backed up.

"I thought they were your friends," she said.

He tilted his head to the side, reaching up to brush his thumb over her bottom lip.

"Slytherins don't have friends. Besides…we can just consider this revenge. Revenge in which I am nowhere near finished with," he replied, glaring over her shoulder and backing into the crowd.

Hermione brushed her hair behind her ear and turned around. They were gone, and Hermione was grateful. She sulked, deciding to call it a night after everything that had happened. She had gotten into a fight with Gin, all but ran from McLaggen, and had been kissed by Nott of all people. If Hermione was a drinker, this would be one of those 'I need a drink' moments.

She walked down the corridor, away from the Ravenclaw common room with a heavy heart. She knew that Ginny would come around. The younger witch was just frustrated, and Hermione couldn't blame her. Hermione wanted to slap herself for allowing that kiss to happen. Even worse, for kissing him back. She really didn't want to dwell on just how good it had felt.

She shook her head, disappointed in herself for even entertaining Blaise's stupid idea. She and Draco never got along, he knew that, and right now, simply looking at Blaise made her blood boil. How could he ever think that she would be head over heels about such a thing? The thought of the three of them together just screamed disaster. _Or fun_. She shook her head, scolding herself for such a thought.

Draco was a Death Eater who apparently enjoyed torturing muggles while Blaise was… Well, Hermione suspected that Blaise was no better than his friend. Her heart sank with this thought, wondering how she could be so wrong about someone.

She paused, looking up as a dark figure down the hall caught her attention. She slowed her pace, approaching with cautious steps, frowning when she recognized Blaise.

He was leaning against the wall, head bent forward, and Hermione got the impression that he was crying…or close to it. She pursed her lips, determined to not let her resolve crack as she approached. Despite the fact that she hated him at the moment, she wasn't going to bask in his pain. That wasn't who she was…

"Blaise?"

He looked up, eyes troubled as they landed on her. He pushed away from the wall, eyebrows furrowed.

"Was Theo a good kisser?"

Hermione bit her tongue, glaring at him.

"Is that what this is about? He kissed me, you saw that. Besides…where do you get off, anyway?"

He didn't respond, and Hermione scoffed.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. You looked… Anyway, if that is what all of this is about then you can forget I asked."

She spun around only to stop as she noticed Draco nonchalantly leaning against the wall, twirling his wand between his fingers and staring at her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Hermione straightened up, eyes widening as her mind went into overdrive. It was a trap. Her mouth parted in surprise.

She backed up, only to come in contact with Blaise's chest. One of his arms suddenly came to wrap around her waist and the other reached inside of her shirt. By the time she realized what he was doing it was already too late. She yanked herself out of his grasp just in time to see her wand bounce several feet behind him.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Her question was directed at Blaise, but he didn't answer. He simply walked towards her.

" _Answer me!_ "

"You miss me…"

"No, I don't," Hermione lied with a shake of her head.

"Yes, you do. I'm sorry, Hermione. Merlin, you have no idea how sorry I am. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to have you back, because…"

He trailed off, eyes darkening as he approached her.

"I can't live without you, I won't," he said.

Hermione jumped as Draco gently grabbed her arm, running his lips along her skin, sending chills down her frame. Her heart beat frantically within her chest as Blaise rested his hand on the wall beside her head.

"Just say yes, Hermione…"

She swallowed, eyes traveling back to Draco who was slowly working his way up her arm. Her attention was brought back to Blaise as his other hand came up to tangle itself into her hair, his lips brushing her cheek.

"Say yes, and we'll grovel, beg, be at your beck and call. We'll do whatever it takes to make this right," a voice purred.

These words did not come from Blaise. Instead, they came from Draco whose lips were nearing her shoulder now. Her eyes widened, and she watched with mixed emotions as Blaise sank to his knees, lifting one of her legs up to rest on his shoulder.

He looked up at her from beneath his lashes, eyes pleading as he gazed at her with such adoration.

"I'm asking you now. What is it going to be?"

* * *

 **Still undecided if I want her to resist. Let me know what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you all for being so patient with me. I told you all that it wouldn't be a long break. I just need some time to sort myself out. I will be replying to all of your messages tomorrow (well, later today, actually). I am so appreciative for every single one of you and I want to personally thank any of you that reached out to me on FF and Tumblr. All of your messages mean so much to me. I can't promise that this won't happen again. I struggle with personal things outside of FF and I will always put my mental health first and I won't apologize for that, as should anyone. I'll do my best to ignore miserable people in the future. After all, mama didn't raise no bitch. Here's a chapter for you all and I hope you like it. I remember the voting that took place and majority rules. xoxo**

* * *

 **Trigger warning: MENTIONS OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS**

* * *

 _"Say yes, and we'll grovel, beg, be at your beck and call. We'll do whatever it takes to make this right," a voice purred._

 _These words did not come from Blaise. Instead, they came from Draco whose lips were nearing her shoulder now. Her eyes widened, and she watched with mixed emotions as Blaise sank to his knees, lifting one of her legs up to rest on his shoulder._

 _He looked up at her from beneath his lashes, eyes pleading as he gazed at her with such adoration._

 _"I'm asking you now. What is it going to be?"_

* * *

Hermione stared down at him, wide-eyed, processing every word that reached her ears. It would be unrealistic to think that she was not affected by their promises in the slightest. Oh, how easy it would be to sink to her knees and wrap her arms around Blaise. How easy it would be to bury her face into his neck, whispering over and over again of how she forgave him. He would return her affection with vigor, and everything could go back to the way it was. Except…

Nothing had ever been easy for Hermione a day in her life. Things were so much different now. Lines had been crossed, words had been said, and she wasn't naïve nor in denial about anything. If she accepted Blaise, she would be accepting Draco as well, and that was something that she just wasn't ready for. She was far from being ready to forgive him for the torment he had put her through.

Daphne's confession still rang in her head, reminding Hermione that not only was Draco the first of them to take the mark, but he had also enjoyed his _initiation_ very much. Of course, Hermione wanted to believe that there was more to the story than that. She didn't want to believe that Draco was evil through and through, but until he showed otherwise…

Blaise landed on his back from the harsh kick she gave his chest. Before Draco had time to process what was happening, she'd elbowed him in the stomach, pushing him back with a hard shove to his face. Her wand flew into her outstretched hand and she aimed it at the blond.

Brown and silver clashed and warred as they stared one another down.

"I'm disappointed that the both of you think I'd crumble so easily. What? Were some whispered empty promises and a few brush of the lips supposed to make me weak in the knees? You're going to have to try a bit harder than that," she spat at him.

She turned around, stopping just beside Blaise as she looked down at him.

"For the record, I don't know what either of you did to get on Nott's bad side, but tell him to leave me the hell out of whatever mess he has going on with the both of you. I've quickly gotten tired of everyone thinking they can do whatever the bloody hell they want with me, and I'm supposed to just sit back and take it."

She drove the toe of her shoe into his shin, satisfied when he hissed, and stomped off.

* * *

 _Hermione fumbled with his shirt, fingers trembling as she undid the buttons at a hurried pace. To be quite honest, she could hardly believe what was happening. She was about to have sex…with Blaise Zabini…at the top of the Astronomy Tower. It was preposterous, absolutely scandalous, and…kind of exciting, really._

 _She grinned as she pushed the material away from his chest, Blaise taking care of the rest as he flung it behind him. His pants quickly followed suit. Her lips attached themselves to his neck, nipping and tugging. Blaise leaned his head back, letting out a groan before reaching down and hooking his hands underneath her thighs. Her bra clad chest met his bare one and she shuddered._

 _He leaned back as she wrapped her arms around his neck, brown eyes inquiring._

 _"This is your last chance, Hermione. I just want-."_

 _"I swear on Godric's grave, if you ask me "am I sure" one more time, I'll cast you off of this tower. I swear I will," she hissed, pressing her lips against his._

 _She could feel him grin into the kiss._

 _"You'll have no one to shag if you do that," he said against her lips._

 _"I'm sure Malfoy won't refuse. He'll shag anything with legs, even me," she teased right back._

 _He jerked away, glaring at her with narrowed eyes._

 _"I didn't find that amusing."_

 _"I found it quite amusing," she said with a laugh._

 _Her round of chuckling was cut off with a surprised squeal as Blaise suddenly had her on her back, lips descending over her stomach. She gasped as his tongue swiveled inside of her belly button. Her heart began to speed up and she became apprehensive as he continued his journey, fingers hooking into the sides of her underwear. She had started to sit up, his name on her lips as the uneasiness of the unknown settled into her stomach when her mouth suddenly parted, eyes falling closed as she collapsed._

 _She involuntarily began to press her thighs together, but he pressed his hands into either one, keeping them separated. For the first time in her life, Hermione…was at a loss for words. Her mind had become such a jumbled mess that she could not think of one word to describe the pleasure that she was feeling at the moment. Of course, later, she could probably come up with about fifty in three different languages._

 _She was experiencing a sensory overload. Every nerve in her body was on fire, and everything just felt so much… **more**. She was unsure of what to do, her thought process basically nonexistent at the moment. Blaise, seeming to sense this, reached up to intertwine his fingers with her own. A string of incoherent mumbles escaped from her parted lips that Blaise would later reveal to her was a chorus of swear words and his name._

 _Hermione had touched herself a few times before, only climaxing once, and it had not even come close to this. She could feel a strong, almost uncomfortably hot coil settling itself below her stomach. Blaise could detect her change in breathing and grinned against her skin, letting one of her hands go and suddenly reaching down._

 _Hermione's back arched, toes curling, no doubt, resembling something straight out of The Exorcist. Her vision became hazy, stars blurring her vision as a roaring sound clouded her ears. She couldn't be sure of how long she stayed like that, body frozen as she stared at nothing. It wasn't until she slowly peeled her eyes open at what felt like sometime later, that she saw Blaise staring down at her, concern in his eyebrow crease. He let out a sigh of relief when her eyes met his._

 _"You blacked out," he stated in wonder._

 _"Really," she sighed, completely unbothered._

 _He chuckled at the goofy, lazy expression on her face. She sluggishly reached up to clasp her hands behind his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. She could taste herself on his lips. It was…different._

 _"That was fun," she mumbled into the kiss._

 _One hand settled on her waist while the other held himself above her._

 _"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," he kissed her again "…I know I did."_

 _She suddenly swallowed, the playful atmosphere becoming serious as he settled himself in between her legs. She stared at him, very aware of their nudity all of a sudden._

 _"Hermione…"_

 _"I know what I signed up for. I can handle it," she whispered._

 _"If at any time you want to stop, say so, and I'll stop. I don't care, just tell me, okay?"_

 _There was a brief moment of awkwardness where their eyes connected and lingered, where it seemed that they were more than just two horny teenagers at the top of the Astronomy Tower. She nodded and closed her eyes, tightening her arms around his neck._

 _Hermione had never been touched before, barely even been kissed, completely oblivious to all the possible pleasures of the flesh. Sex with Blaise wasn't what she'd expected it to be. It was nice. It was sweet. It was sloppy kisses against her collarbone and fingers pressed into her hips. It was keening and moaning, legs wrapped around a waist and scratch marks littering backs and arms. Hips moving against hips and flesh on flesh. His movements were slow, driving her insane. He was locked in her, and she held him there, never wanting him to leave. She came in his arms, breath mingling together as they fought to catch their breath, forehead pressed against forehead. His lips found her neck, her fingers brushed along the length of his back, and a shiver passed through him that had nothing to do with the sex at all._

* * *

Hermione found her feet carrying her to the Astronomy Tower the next night. Thoughts running rampant as she climbed the stairs. _Would it be…so crazy?_ Yes, was the immediate answer. Both of them were absolutely mental to even think she'd agree to such a thing, that she'd even entertain such a thing. It was one thing to sleep with two people, but to have a serious polyamorous relationship? As if that would ever work.

Not to mention, she was still pissed with the both of them, and for good reason. Blaise had no right telling her any of this, and she wished that he'd just kept his mouth shut. Hermione much preferred thinking that he had simply sold her out, to be honest. It was much less complicated in her book.

She had just reached the top of the tower when she noticed a figure standing in front of the railing, halting her thoughts. She wasn't too surprised to find someone else up here. It was the identity of 'who' that took her back. The long blonde hair was instantly recognizable.

"Daphne? What are you doing up here?"

Hermione walked towards the girl, stopping immediately as her eyes fully took in the scene before her. Daphne Greengrass was leaning on the wrong side of the railing.

"Daphne…," Hermione whispered, heart stopping.

"He knows," the blonde girl shakily whispered back into the cold night air.

The night was quiet, with most students already in bed, and Hermione could hear her heart beating in her chest. It was all she could hear. Hermione heard Daphne exhale a broken sigh that shook as it escaped from between her lips.

"My mum…she sent me an Owl today. They know what I've been up to, they know that I've betrayed them. He knows, Hermione."

Daphne's voice was scarily calm as she looked out over the Hogwarts grounds. Hermione didn't need her to elaborate on who _he_ was.

"We don't know that for sure, Daphne. H-how did they find out?"

The Slytherin simply shrugged, shaking her head, blonde locks brushing over her shoulder.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter, anyway," she whispered.

Hermione quietly took a step forward.

"Yes, it does. Even if he does know, we can go straight to Dumbledore right now. He will protect you," Hermione reasoned.

"I'm already dead, Granger."

"No-."

"I'll be dead before the week is up! They'll make it look like an accident too, or that I killed myself. I might as well. At least it'll be on my own terms," Daphne hissed, glaring over her shoulder at Hermione.

Hermione wrapped her fingers around her wand, eyes wide.

"Who is they? Do you mean the others in the school? They would do that?"

Hermione was determined to keep the distraught girl talking.

"They would do anything to gain favor. Even if that included murdering a classmate…"

"What about Astoria? What happened to protecting her?"

"She will see. She'll see what taking the mark did to me. She'll know the truth of it and she won't want it."

"Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world. He _can_ and he _will_ protect you, Daphne," Hermione said.

"…and what if he can't? What if he isn't here to do that?"

Hermione suddenly thought of Katie Bell and the necklace and Harry's suspicions.

"You don't need to do this. I know…I know that you feel you don't have any other choice, but you do. Climb back over, and let me help you. Please…," Hermione pleaded.

"I'm weak. I always have been. I knew that I wasn't cut out for this. I'm scared, Granger…," Daphne quietly admitted.

"…then don't do it," Hermione quietly replied.

Hermione suddenly threw up a _Protego_ as Daphne attempted to disarm her. Hermione was quick to respond, and caught Daphne's wand as it flew into the air. Time seemed to slow down as Daphne let go just as Hermione's fingers wrapped around the foreign piece of wood. The blonde girl's hair whipped around her face as she leaned back, arms spread out.

Hermione's eyes widened and her heart dropped into her stomach. She was positive that she had never moved so fast in her life, her hand just barely closing around Daphne's, all of the air leaving her lungs as the railing harshly pressed into her ribs.

"Let me go! I'm dead, Granger! Don't you get it? I'm already dead," Daphne cried as her legs swung back and forth in the air.

Hermione swallowed, eyes connecting with Daphne's as she tightened her grip.

"Not if I can help it. We made an Unbreakable Vow, remember? I swore that I would do everything in my power to protect you."

Daphne frantically shook her head, eyes wild and dead all at once.

"They're going to kill me, Granger…"

"Who? Tell me who, and I'll make sure they won't," Hermione said, pulling her up.

They both collapsed on the other side, Daphne a sobbing mess as she clutched Hermione's hand. She shook her head again, eyes connecting with Hermione's.

"I don't want to die, Granger," she suddenly confessed.

Hermione was quiet as she exhaled, briefly closing her eyes. She could see it in Daphne's eyes, the Slytherin was scared and desperate.

"I know," Hermione finally said.

Daphne leaned her head against the railing, inconsolable as Hermione held her hand.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21

**I honestly don't even know why it took me so long to update this story. I apologize for keeping you all waiting, and thanks for sticking around with this nut who can't seem to get her life together. I hope you all enjoy this wonderful chapter.**

 **TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND DETERIORATING MENTAL HEALTH**

* * *

 _Daphne frantically shook her head, eyes wild and dead all at once._

 _"They're going to kill me, Granger…"_

 _"Who? Tell me who, and I'll make sure they won't," Hermione said, pulling her up._

 _They both collapsed on the other side, Daphne a sobbing mess as she clutched Hermione's hand. She shook her head again, eyes connecting with Hermione's._

 _"I don't want to die, Granger," she suddenly confessed._

 _Hermione was quiet as she exhaled, briefly closing her eyes. She could see it in Daphne's eyes, the Slytherin was scared and desperate._

 _"I know," Hermione finally said._

 _Daphne leaned her head against the railing, inconsolable as Hermione held her hand._

* * *

"She tried to _jump_? Are you serious?"

Hermione shushed Ginny, looking over her shoulder at Daphne's resting figure before pulling the redhead out of the infirmary. As soon as Hermione had gotten Daphne the least bit under control, she'd taken the blonde girl straight to Madam Pomfrey. Against her better judgement, she listened to Daphne and didn't breathe a word to Madam Pomfrey about what really happened. Despite the nurse's protests, Hermione had stayed all night, body trembling with worry.

"Ginny…I know that we said we wouldn't go to Dumbledore, right now, but I feel like that's best," Hermione said.

The younger girl sighed, reluctantly nodding as she leaned against the wall.

"You should've seen her… She looked so… _defeated_. She'd already decided that she was dead, anyway, and wanted to take her death into her own hands. She's convinced that someone in this school is going to off her…"

Ginny gave Hermione a pointed look, one she did not get…at first. Hermione tilted her head, eyes wide.

"No…" she shook her head "…no, Ginny."

"Who else? Out of every student in this school, who has been spending a lot of time with You-Know-Who? Who has the family, the resources to pull such a thing off? You heard her! He was the first to take the mark, and he apparently took great enjoyment in his initiation," Ginny argued.

"We don't have all of the information! Are you forgetting that? We don't know the whole story. Hell, we don't even know who else in this school has the bloody mark. Just…hold off on the witch hunt, okay?"

"Why are you so adamant on defending him?"

Ginny stepped closer to Hermione, jaw clenched and eyes hard. Hermione resisted the urge to glare at her friend.

"…because, he may be a lot of things, Ginny, but…we're discussing _murder_ , here. That's kind of a serious offense. Do you really think he's capable of that?"

Ginny suddenly sighed, looking away.

"Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore…"

Hermione released a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

"I get it, okay? Believe me, I am just as freaked out as you are. I'm not completely writing him off, just yet, but I want to make sure that she's alright first. One problem at a time," Hermione said.

Ginny nodded, releasing a breath.

"Okay. You stay here with her. I'm going to Dumbledore, right now."

* * *

Hermione looked up from her spot beside Daphne's side with wide eyes. Neither one of them said a word as he approached, gently setting the vase of flowers on her bedside table. Their last encounter was still fresh in her mind, the temptation she had felt to just forget everything and throw herself at him, still strong.

"What are you doing here?"

Blaise's dark eyes rested on his housemate before they finally settled on her.

"Even if we all hate each other deep down, us Purebloods do have to keep up the polite pretenses…" he gestured to the flowers "…simply paying my respects."

"You make it sound as if she's dead," Hermione whispered.

"She almost was…from what I've heard…"

Hermione said nothing, silently wondering just what everyone was saying about the Slytherin girl.

"Fortunately…you were there to save her. _How lucky_ …"

He didn't sound as if it was very lucky, at all.

"Are you a Death Eater?"

Hermione gasped, eyes widening further as the words jumped out before she even had time to process them. Nonetheless, she stared at Blaise, waiting for his answer.

"You've seen my arm-."

"…and what exactly does that mean? A genius wouldn't put some form of identification on _everyone_ he recruits. He'd be an idiot," she interrupted.

"Would you believe me if I told you the truth?"

Hermione bit her lip, her silence an answer. Blaise threw up his hands, frustrated.

"Why ask? Hmm? What's the point of asking if you've already convicted me?"

Hermione swallowed, throat becoming incredibly thick all of a sudden. Merlin's beard, when had she turned into such an emotional trollop?

"You're his best friend. I know you knew…"

Blaise didn't respond, simply settling on looking away.

"Tell me what I have to do to fix this?"

"There's nothing to fix. You honestly think that the three of us could _ever_ work? Never mind the way you went about it, which I still haven't forgiven you for, but you actually think that's possible? You're out of your mind…"

"How so? People do it all the time," was his reply.

"Yeah, and I'm willing to bet that those people don't have the kind of history the three of us have. Let's say I do forgive you, or at the very least, give you another chance to make this right… What about Draco? Hmm? Are you forgetting that he's made my schooling here hell or that ever since he found out about us he's made me feel worse than I've ever felt _in my life_?"

Blaise didn't respond.

"It's…sweet and all that he's finally realizing what that thing in his chest is and that I'm making him feel this way, but…" Hermione shook her head "…He doesn't deserve me. He's done nothing to make me believe that he does. Hell, the weeks leading up to… _that night_ , he was still the same asshole he always is."

Blaise heaved a sigh.

"This…is new to him, Hermione. I'm not going to speak for him, but he really likes you…" Hermione looked away "…He regrets treating you like that."

"…and yet you're the one telling me these things instead of him."

"Hermione-."

"He has the mark, Blaise! He's been spending time with Voldemort, he was the first to take the mark, he took _great enjoyment_ in his initiation, and-."

Hermione cut herself off as she realized what she was saying. She'd gotten so heated that she didn't even realize she was standing now, staring at Blaise with wide eyes as the words spilled out. Blaise stared at her, head tilted and eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"How do you know all of that?"

She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say.

"It…doesn't matter."

Blaise stared at her for a long time before his eyes landed on Daphne. Hermione swallowed as his eyes cut back to her, the intensity in them scaring her.

"It's pretty convenient that you happened to be with her when she tried to throw herself off of the tower."

"I went up there to think. You and your sidekick have thrown me for a loop these past few weeks, and I just wanted to clear my head for a while. Convenient isn't the word I'd use…"

"Why was she trying to kill herself?"

"I don't know."

Blaise slowly lifted his head upright, eyes boring into her own before he ran them over her frame at an agonizing pace. His eyes met hers again, and his lips parted in surprise, an amused smirk on his lips as he raised his eyebrows.

"Heh. _You're lying_ ," he said, tilting his head to the side, assessing her.

Hermione sat back down, opting to ignore him. She looked away, fixing Daphne's pillows as he walked around the bed, approaching her.

"You know something. You know why she did it," he accused.

"I don't. Even if I did, it's none of _your_ business. She…," Hermione trailed off, eyes lifting to stare at the wall.

A cold chill passed over her, and her hands halted their movements on Daphne's pillow.

As far as Madam Pomfrey knew, Daphne had too much to drink and almost took an accidental tumble to her death. She'd only just told Ginny the truth _forty minutes_ ago. Ginny was the only other person who knew what really happened.

She tensed, eyebrows furrowing as she slowly looked over her shoulder at him.

"How did you know she tried to kill herself?"

A small smirk graced his lips, hands shoved into his pockets as he looked down his nose at Daphne.

"Everyone knows about Daphne's mental health…or lack thereof. Let's just say, this isn't the first time something like this has happened…" he turned to smile at her, something she was sure was supposed to be reassuring "…it wasn't that hard to guess the truth."

It was believable, yes, so why didn't she believe him?

"What? You think I'm lying?"

Hermione looked up at him, _really_ looked at him, and for the first time…she didn't know the answer.

* * *

Hermione took great satisfaction in the grunt that left Draco's lips as he landed on his back for the third time in the past hour. They only had two more days to prepare, and she was proud of herself for staying so focused this time…despite the current dilemma that was her life. She looked past Draco and smiled at her friends, throwing them a wink as they gave her a thumbs up.

Upon learning that she was practicing with Draco again today, Ron and Harry decided to use their free time to tag along and watch. She was sure that Ron was simply curious while Harry wanted to keep an eye on Draco, no doubt. She guessed that their presence had something to do with her focus, and she was glad for it. The last time that she and Draco practiced was still fresh in her mind, making her face heat up all over again.

Her eyes were on them as Draco stood, annoyance marring his features as he glanced over his shoulder at the dunce duo. He had to admit that being knocked onto his back again and again by Hermione was…exhilarating, but he would have much preferred it if her sidekicks weren't around. He clutched his wand tightly in his hand.

Hermione stumbled back in shock as a spell landed at her feet, and she glared up at Draco.

"Pay attention. We've got two days left. You've got all the time in the world to grin at your lackeys like a bumbling idiot," he snapped, brushing himself off.

Hermione frowned, offended by that statement.

"Take your own advice. I'm not the one constantly getting knocked onto my back," she threw back, a smile gracing her lips.

Draco smirked.

"…and what a pity that is. It is one of your better angles, after all…"

Hermione gasped, eyes widening just before she flicked her wand, irritation rising when he easily blocked it.

"Don't get sloppy, now," he mocked.

"Sloppy? Me? Yet…you're the one who's always behind _me_ in marks. That's why you never could please daddy, right?"

She watched as his jaw ticked, eyes hardening. She hit a nerve.

"Don't get sloppy, now," she sweetly sneered.

Harry and Ron watched, transfixed as Draco and Hermione threw spells back and forth. Harry was having flashbacks from 2nd year, noting that this duel far surpassed that. As much as anyone hated to admit it, Draco was second best to Hermione for a reason. He was a talented wizard, and talent wasn't something that could be bought. His shoulders eased with the loss of tension, acknowledging that maybe he didn't have anything to worry about with the upcoming duels. Hermione seemed to be holding her own.

"Diffindo!"

Draco did not dodge that one, and he hissed as a large portion of his shirt was slashed, the spell grazing his skin, a decent sized cut appearing. Hermione gasped, eyes widening as she took a step forward, apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I… It just kind of came out. I was expecting you to-."

"If you wanted to get me naked again, all you had to do was ask," Draco laughed.

Hermione scoffed, biting her tongue as she glared at him.

"Don't flatter yourself. It was an accident," she said.

Draco rolled his eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting.

"If you say so," he chuckled.

"It was! I-."

"Aguamenti."

Hermione shrieked as a rather large wave of water knocked her to the ground. She coughed, pushing her soaked hair away from her face as she jumped to her feet.

"Oops," Draco shrugged.

"You did that on purpose," she shrieked, dripping.

Draco chuckled, bringing his thumb up to brush along his bottom lip as he gazed at her.

"You look better when you're wet…"

Hermione flushed, jaw clenching before storming past him.

"We're done for the day."

Her movements were halted when his hand shot out to gently grip her arm, turning her around to face him. She leaned back to look up at him. He glanced over her shoulder at her friends who were watching them with caution and decided against stepping closer.

"It was a joke, Hermione."

"Is that what everything is to you? One big joke?"

Draco suddenly looked unsure, taking a step back, looking away.

"Of course not," he scoffed.

"You could've fooled me. You treat _me_ like a joke. You treat my feelings like a joke…"

Draco's eyes met hers again, a frown settling over his features.

"That's not true," he whispered.

Hermione pursed her lips, looking at him through icy eyes.

"If you say so," she mocked, throwing his own words back at him for the second time that day.

She took a step back, deciding that she'd put up with all that she possibly could from Draco for the time being. He was upon her in two strides, spinning her around just like their first training session, lips descending over her own.

" **Oi!** "

Her eyes widened in shock, heart thudding beneath her chest. The kiss was short, but dominating nonetheless as he forced her to bend backwards, taking complete control over her mouth. He pulled away from her before she had time to react, staring up at him in shock.

"You're not a joke to me," he said, just before her friends finally reached them.

She felt herself being yanked back, still too shocked to say anything as Harry shoved Draco away, eyes blazing.

"What the hell, Malfoy? What the bloody hell do you think you're playing at?"

Draco grinned, a soft laugh leaving his sinful lips.

"I was just messing around, Potter. Lighten up…"

"You ever touch her like that again, and I'll…"

Harry trailed off as Draco stepped towards him, his face only inches away from Harry's, a dark countenance suddenly taking over. A shadow passed over his eyes, the color of storm clouds, as he glared at her best friend, violent promises swirling within their depths.

"You'll what?"

Harry didn't respond, swallowing, glaring at the Slytherin. A devilish smirk danced along Draco's lips, top lip curling up into a sneer.

"Come on, _Harry Potter_. Tell me what you are going to do if I touch her like that again," he purred.

"I'll kill you," Harry spat.

Draco smiled, briefly glancing at her.

"You'll kill me? For what? For making your best friend feel like the woman she is?"

"Harry, stop," Hermione finally said as Harry started towards him again.

"How do you know she didn't want me to touch her like that?"

"Malfoy, that's enough…"

"She didn't," Harry said, venom dripping from every word.

Draco smirked again, head tilted.

"How do you know? Did you ask her?"

Ron began to drag her away, calling for Harry to do the same.

Harry's hand clenched around his wand, fire in his eyes as his chest heaved. Draco straightened up, hands clasped behind his back, eyes looking down his nose at Harry.

"You should stick to what you're best at, boy wonder, because intimidation _isn't it_ ," he sneered.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello. I quite enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope that it doesn't disappoint. Also, I made a face claim edit on my tumblr for Tracey Davis if any of you are curious.**

 **Warning: Character Death**

 **TW: SUICIDE!, MENTIONS OF SUICIDE, SLIGHT ANIMAL ABUSE**

* * *

"For the last time, Harry, I don't know. It was just…Malfoy being Malfoy, I guess," Hermione sighed, the lies easily falling from her lips these days.

Draco's impromptu and careless kiss the day before had landed Hermione in a heap of hot water with Harry and Ron. While Ron seemed equally horrified and angry, understandably so, Harry seemed… _suspicious_. The last thing she needed was for Harry to start poking his nose into her personal life.

"…and like I've said before, since when has Malfoy ever done anything like _that_ to mess with you? He snogging a Muggleborn, someone he has always deemed to be beneath him, does not fit his character description," he replied.

Hermione huffed, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Well, what else would you have me say? Are you expecting me to have an answer for _anything_ he does? What do I look like, his keeper?"

She struggled not to raise her voice in the quiet library, her frustration growing by the minute. Harry bit his lip, eyebrows furrowing into a frown, regarding her.

"No, but… I am a little thrown off by _your_ reaction to all of this. I expected you to be just a bit outraged, at least," he said, eyes narrowing.

Hermione exhaled, resting her forehead against her fingers.

"Maybe I just don't have it in me to be bothered by anything Malfoy does anymore," she responded with a shrug.

"…which isn't really like you, either…"

Hermione looked up at him, her brown eyes clashing with his green ones.

"What do you want from me, Harry? Really… I personally would like to just forget the whole thing."

Harry didn't respond, staring at her.

"What?"

Still he said nothing, eyes boring into her own when all of a sudden…

" _Legilimens_."

She felt her head spinning. It was a strange feeling, something foreign forcing itself into her head. Brief flashes of memories came to the forefront of her mind, Hermione reliving them all over again. Skin upon skin, sweaty backs, and shaky breaths were the first memories that she tried to hide, and naturally, they were the first she thought of, so that was what he saw. It was over before it began, a quick jumbled mess, indicating that Harry was not as skilled as he would like to be. A desperate amateur.

Hermione jumped up, stumbling back as her chair fell to the ground. Her wide eyes were focused on nothing but him as he stared up at her with an equally shocked expression, as if just realizing what he'd done. She brought her hand up to her forehead. She knew that he didn't see much, but it was still more than she could be content with.

"What was _that_?"

Of course, they both knew that she didn't mean it literally. She knew what Legilimency was, and she wondered who it was that had been teaching him. Was it Dumbledore?

Harry opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he blinked.

" _Are you mental?_ "

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. It just…it just sort of happened. I-."

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

Hermione felt…betrayed. Granted, she _was_ lying to Harry, but he had no right to invade her privacy in order to get whatever answers he was looking for. Harry stood, eyes apologetic.

"I'm sorry. I'm just…desperate, and it sort of happened before I even realized what I was doing," he whispered.

Hermione glared at him, quickly collecting her things despite his protests.

"Hermione, wait, please," he begged.

"I get it, Harry, I honestly do. You're scared and anxious, and that's making you question everything and everyone, but that… That was unacceptable. You're supposed to be my friend," she snapped.

He said nothing, looking down, face heating up with shame.

Hermione shook her head at him, storming out of the library.

* * *

"Um…excuse me?"

Madam Pomfrey looked up from the boy she was attending to, stern gaze resting on Hermione.

"Where is Daphne Greengrass?" she asked, gesturing to the blonde girl's empty bed.

"She was released this morning, dear."

Hermione frowned, chewing on her lip. Was she with Dumbledore? Had her parents come to collect her? Madam Pomfrey had long turned her attention back to her patient, and Hermione walked away with a sigh. She hoped that she was with Dumbledore, the caring Headmaster coming to collect her after what Ginny had told him.

She walked down the corridor, face twisted into a frown. She'd go talk to the Headmaster after lunch. Hermione wanted to make sure that Daphne was alright for herself. She started to make her way towards the Great Hall when she ran into a familiar face, their last encounter clouding her mind as she warily eyed his approaching frame.

"What do you want?"

Blaise threw her a crooked smile.

"I'm on my way to see, Daphne. Funnily enough, I also wanted to see you as well," he replied, dark eyes intensely resting on her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the way her heart fluttered beneath it at his piercing stare.

"…why?"

"I wanted to wish you luck on your duel tomorrow. I know you'll do great," he encouraged.

Hermione blinked, faltering as she shuffled her feet, letting her arms drop.

"Oh. Well…thank you," she whispered.

There was a brief, awkward silence, one in which Hermione was tempted to say a million things that were on her mind, but she voiced none of them. The conflicting emotions that were swirling around within her chest prevented her from doing so.

She missed him.

Merlin, did she miss him.

She missed touching him, kissing him. She missed the feel of his heartbeat as she would lay her head on his chest. She missed the way he would look at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She missed…just _talking_ with him. Blaise was smart, almost as smart as she, and not once had they ever had a dull conversation.

She missed him…and it hurt.

Forgiving him, forgiving him and taking him back, wasn't that simple though. He was now a package deal, and Hermione didn't think that she was ready for that. She wasn't sure if she ever would be.

She sadly looked away from him, moving to step past him when he reached out, halting her movement. She looked up at him as he reached up to brush a stray curl away from her face. His eyes flitted over her, as if drinking her in before he finally spoke.

"…bats."

Hermione blinked, confusion swimming across her features at his odd statement.

"What?"

"Bats…" he repeated "…Draco can't stand them. They give him the creeps."

Her eyes lit up as she picked up on what he was hinting at. She fought back a smile.

"I thought you had faith in me," she responded.

"I do, but Draco doesn't fight fair, as we both know. Why should you?"

He let go of her, and Hermione took a step back.

"Daphne was released this morning, by the way," she suddenly said, remembering her visit.

Blaise hummed.

"I never knew that the two of you were this close," he quietly responded.

Hermione swallowed.

"We're not, but… I feel a certain obligation to make sure she's alright, is all," she whispered.

Blaise eyed her, dark eyes calculating before he smirked.

"Have I ever told you that you're entirely too nice?"

She simply smiled, walking away from him.

"…all the time."

* * *

"I do not think that I need to explain meager rules that will insult both your intelligence and mine as your instructor. The last thing Madam Pomfrey wants is to deal with life-threatening injuries due to your inability to withhold using deadly spells to disarm your classmates…"

They all stood and listened carefully as Professor Snape droned on, making a show of making them all feel like imbeciles before they were even able to begin. The fear of humiliation and punishment weighed heavily on everyone's minds as the first two students were instructed to get up on the platform. Unfortunately, the order in which each pair was going was random, everyone on edge knowing that they could be called at any moment.

Hermione watched, nervous as Ron and Theodore Nott stepped up. Hermione had faith that Ron could hold his own very well, but Slytherins were never known to play fair. Hermione recalled her last encounter with Nott, the feel of his lips on hers, and his unnerving words in which he spoke of revenge on Blaise and Draco. She frowned, pursing her lips as a devilish grin danced along Nott's lips.

Her eyes shifted, catching those of Draco, and she blinked. He held her gaze, refusing to look away. She remembered what Blaise had said, debating with herself on whether or not she should use the information for her own gain. She fought fair, always had, but Blaise also had a point. Draco would not play fair. She liked to believe that he would, but she knew that was wishful thinking on her part. However, in the end, she decided that playing as Draco undoubtedly would was not her style.

It was almost like Draco could read her mind. As soon as she had mentally made her decision, he lowered his eyes, chin dipping down as his eyes rested on the floor before him, a small smile gracing his lips. She swallowed, eyes lifting towards the duel in front of her just in time to see Ron land on his back, wand clattering to the floor as he groaned.

Nott smirked, and Snape sneered down at her redhead friend, disappointed in the swiftness in which the duel had ended, no doubt. She threw Ron a sympathetic smile as he picked himself up with a sigh, face pulled into a frown.

Two by two, students stepped up onto the platform, Hermione's nervousness growing as the minutes dragged on. She watched every single one of them battling each other with everything they had, a few of her classmates surprising even her. A collective gasp filled the air as Lavender successfully disarmed Parkinson, both the dark haired and blonde girls looking shocked as Lavender caught the other girl's wand with ease.

There was a brief silence before cheers filled the air, a hesitant chuckle escaping Lavender as Parkinson's face twisted into a sneer. Lavender returned the wand, stepping off of the platform with a large grin on her face. Ron pulled her into a hug, congratulations falling from his lips. Hermione's joy was short lived.

"Granger. Malfoy."

She tensed, a hush falling over her classmates as everyone anticipated the upcoming duel. She was the first to step up onto the platform, a heavy feeling settling into her gut. That feeling only grew as Draco practically flew onto the platform, pulling himself up with a grace that almost made her envious. She tightened her fingers around her wand, eyes fixated on him as he tilted his head at her.

"Wands at the ready…"

She lifted her wand, Draco's movements mirroring her own as they stared each other down. The corner of his mouth lifted just a bit, bright eyes raking over her frame, his thoughts perfectly showcased in them. Hermione clenched her jaw as he spoke.

"Am I making you nervous?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

They turned and began to walk away from each other, each step Hermione took coincided with her heart beat.

"On my word…"

She got into position, facing Draco, wand outstretched towards him. Their eyes met, and she felt hers icing over as he tilted his head down, an unreadable expression gracing his features.

"You will defeat your opponent to the best of your ability. Do not…disappoint…me," Snape drawled, eyes flickering between his two best students.

Hermione took a deep breath, narrowing her eyes at Draco as he did the same.

"…begin!"

Draco threw the first spell, something she expected and was easily able to block. _Always on offense_ , she thought. Still, the ferocity in which he attacked startled even her, and it became abundantly clear that he'd been holding back during practices. She barely had enough time to prepare to anticipate his next spell after just blocking the previous one. He was quick and precise, each flick of his wand easily calculated, all the signs of someone who was well trained.

" _Avis._ "

With a swish of his wand, the flock of birds heading straight for him had disintegrated, falling to the floor in specks of dust. Hermione frowned for a fraction of a second before he blew said dust right back in her face. She closed her eyes, the dust landing on her hair and clothes, before throwing up a Protego just in time for his next spell.

She stumbled back, and they both glared at each other. The air around them was silent, anticipation and awe swimming within the atmosphere as their classmates watched with keen interest. Snape had yet to say a word, too engrossed in their battle as both she and Draco each fought to throw the other off.

" _Aguamenti._ "

Hermione, unlike the last time he used this charm, was prepared. The water burst around her, exploding into tiny crystalized droplets that slowly rained down around her like diamonds. She couldn't hear the slight murmurs that surrounded them, nor did she see the way her friends' eyes lit up at the dazzling display. All Hermione could focus on was Draco and the ever growing determination that danced its way along his features.

" _Lacarnum Inflamarae_."

Draco's tie caught fire, and he hurriedly yanked the loose piece of cloth from around his neck before harshly throwing it onto the ground. He hadn't even looked up yet when he cast his next charm. Hermione stumbled back as a blinding light, as bright as the sun, filled her vision.

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

She was able to deflect it in time before flicking her wand.

" _Obscuro._ "

Draco simply smirked as a black blindfold appeared over his eyes, making no move to remove it. He twirled his wand, and the bottom half of Hermione's shirt was torn almost completely off immediately after. _Showoff_ , she bitterly thought, paying her sudden exposure no mind. Back and forth they went, casting charm after charm, each trying to get the upper hand.

It was like a dance, the way they each flickered their wand from side to side and around, perfectly executed spells falling from their lips. Hermione had always bested him in class. She was smarter than he was, they both knew it, but it seemed that they might have been matched after all when it came to the subject of combat. Perhaps, Draco was even more skilled than she was, considering he was currently holding her off with a blindfold around his eyes.

" _Periculum._ "

" _Rictumsempra._ "

" _Confundo!_ "

By now, Draco had ripped the blindfold off, his movements much more jerky, frustration seeping into them. Something familiar began to worm its way into his eyes as they each began to involuntarily step closer.

" _Stupefy!_ "

" _Ventus!_ "

" _Fumos!_ "

" _Serpensortia!_ "

The entire room sharply inhaled all at once as a rather harmless, but lengthy, serpent landed directly in front of Draco. There was only a few seconds of murmuring before Draco flicked his wand with a sneer. Hermione shrieked as the slithery reptile came straight at her face, its tail curling around her neck. She ripped it away from her, flinging it into the crowd without a care of who it landed on.

She could faintly hear Snape saying something or another, to the both of them, no doubt. Neither one of them paid him any mind as they both raised their wands.

" ** _Everte Statum!_** "

They both flew back as they seemed to share the same thought. Hermione landed on her back rather harshly, the wind expelling from her as she gasped to catch her breath. There was a slight ringing in her ear that was accompanied by a slightly hazy vision. She suspected that she'd hit her head on the floor. The voices surrounding her sounded so far away even though they were only a few feet away at best.

She was relieved to find that her wand was still clutched in her hand, and as she lifted her head, she could say the same for Draco. Their duel was not over. She forced herself to roll over onto her side, standing up with great difficulty. Draco recovered much faster than she, already on his feet, his blond hair falling into his face and clinging to his forehead with sweat.

"Professor Snape…?"

She looked to her left, eyes falling on Harry as he stared at their DADA teacher with something akin to disbelieving fury. It was clear that Harry felt their duel was going too far and wanted Snape to say as much. Only, Snape didn't do that. He didn't say anything, and that was all that she and Draco needed.

Hermione slashed her wand, frustration clear as day on her face as Draco found his left arm bound. That was not her intention, and she frowned. She was getting sloppy. Still, she began to drag him towards her nonetheless. When he was only a few steps away from her, he suddenly lunged, lifting his arm and wrapping the rope around the back of her neck. She was still gripping it, giving him the leverage to yank her towards him. His hypnotizing eyes found hers, and she gasped.

Harry's attempt to use Legilimency on her was laughable. She knew it then that he wasn't very skilled, an amateur at best, but the feeling of Draco expertly rifling through her brain only solidified that conclusion. It was clear that this was what Blaise meant by fighting unfairly. At first, it was simply strong memories that he brought to the forefront of her mind. The troll in the dungeon, her first kiss with Viktor Krum, and her punching Draco in the face, but then…

She could feel Blaise's lips on her skin, evoking feelings from her that she didn't know she had. The smell of his cologne overpowered her senses, and suddenly, another scent was making its way in too. Draco's teeth were grazing her neck, fingers in her hair, hands digging into her hips. He and Blaise were all around her until she could see, hear, and smell nothing but them.

She fought to close her mind, to push him out, but reading about Occlumency and actively practicing it were two different things. It was _much_ harder than Hermione imagined, and the more she fought, the worse it became.

That was when the memories shifted.

 _"We need to talk, Granger…"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"I want out."_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"It seems that Greengrass and I are going to make an Unbreakable Vow."_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"Both of you mean the world to me, and I just wanted to keep both of you in my life, in whatever way possible…"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"…after he took the mark, he was spending a lot of time with him."_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"I don't want Astoria to make the same mistakes I did…"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"…they know what I've been up to, they know that I've betrayed them. He knows, Hermione."_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"I don't want to die, Granger…"_

Hermione fell back and landed on the floor in horror, wand clattering to the floor as she stared up at him, signifying her defeat. He was equally frozen, wide eyes gazing at her in shock, hand still lifted from where he held her. Cheers erupted around them from both houses.

Even though she had lost, Hermione had still put up an impressive fight. Both opponents, however, paid them no mind. Neither one of them noticed the look on both Snape nor Harry's faces as the two realized what Draco had just done. They didn't register that they had stared at one another, Draco sifting through her mind, for roughly a minute and a half, leaving everyone else to wonder what the hell was going on.

Hermione trembled, the world seeming to slow down as Draco's expression morphed. His eyes hardened, nostrils flared as he looked around, as if just noticing Daphne's absence. She watched in slow motion as he turned his head towards the exit, chest heaving in anger. He glanced at her one last time before resting his eyes on the door. Hermione reached for her wand, scooping it up, and rolling onto her feet.

Her classmates' eyes were wide as she dived off of the platform, landing unceremoniously on her feet before taking off. Time fell back into its normal tempo as her feet carried her towards the door. Snape, having been stunned for one of the few times in his life, did not react until after Draco had already dived after her, chasing her down.

"Nobody else move, or you'll have detention for the next three months," he hissed, dark robe billowing behind him as he walked towards the exit.

Hermione could hear his footsteps behind her as she flew down the corridor, her wild hair flying behind her as she fought to get to Daphne first. She shrieked as a spell narrowly missed her head, hitting the wall next to her. She ran down the stairs, Draco hot on her heels, the sound of his feet the equivalent of grenades in her ears. She jumped when his fingers wrapped around her wrist, jerking away from him, only to yank them both down the incline.

They landed at the bottom of the stairs in a heap, and Hermione struggled to stand, Draco's weight making it damn near impossible. She groaned as he tightened his hold around her wrist. They both rolled around on the floor, presenting quite the interesting sight if anyone were around. His fingers dug into her waist, rolling her onto her back just as the tip of her wand pressed into his neck.

"What the hell have you done?" he yelled, eyes wild.

"Let go of me," she breathed.

He clenched his jaw, yanking her up and pressing her back against the wall. He towered over her, glaring down at her, something unfamiliar in his eyes.

"What have you done? What has she dragged you _into_?"

"What are you going to do to her?"

He didn't answer, and that was all the answer Hermione needed. She brought her knee up, not stopping to process what she'd done as Draco keeled over. She turned the corner, her legs burning as she ran all the way down to the dungeons. A younger student was just beginning to slip inside when she ran in behind them, sprinting past them and into the dimly lit common room.

Her presence was met with surprise, and Hermione faltered, swallowing.

"Where is Daphne Greengrass' dormitory?"

There was a brief pause in which no one answered or moved, until a 7th year nodded behind him, eyebrows raised in slight confusion. She sprinted past him, eyes adjusting to the darker hallway as she looked around. She wasn't sure which room it was, and she grabbed the arm of a dark haired girl as she exited her own.

"Where is Daphne's room?"

The girl took one look at her before pursing her lips, turning her nose up.

"…and why should I tell you?"

Hermione's eyes darkened.

"It's serious!"

"If you say so," the girl scoffed.

"If you don't, and something happens to her, I'll make sure that Dumbledore knows who was preventing me from doing what I needed to do," Hermione said.

The girl hesitated, crossing her arms over her chest before jutting her chin to Hermione's left. Hermione entered the room, finding it empty. She looked around with furrowed eyebrows, confusion plaguing her thoughts. Where was she?

" _Granger?_ "

She spun around, coming face to face with Tracey Davis. The pretty brunette scoffed in disbelief at the sight of the Gryffindor Golden Girl in her dorm, light brown eyes raking over her with a sneer.

"What the bloody hell are you doing in here?"

"Where is Daphne?"

Davis rolled her eyes, placing her hand on her hip.

"In the infirmary. Where else?" she rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you know that? I heard that you'd been visiting her."

Hermione blinked.

"She was released _this morning_ …"

Davis paused, something flashing in her eyes before crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, I haven't seen her," she said with a shrug. "Have you tried the Astronomy Tower?"

Hermione's jaw clenched at the other girl's mocking tone. A sense of dread began to creep up onto Hermione, and she got the strangest feeling that she was in something akin to a lion's den. She took a step forward, Davis straightening up at the action. Hermione ran her eyes over her frame, noting the long sleeved shirt Davis wore.

The petite girl took a step forward, face a hair's width away from Hermione's.

"Looking for something, Granger?"

"Aside from Daphne…? No," Hermione firmly stated, undeterred by her harsh demeanor.

Davis smirked, flicking her hair away from her shoulder.

"I do hope you find her. We'd all be heartbroken if something happened to our dear housemate," Davis whispered.

"If any of you have done _anything_ to-."

"Oh, _please_! Spare us the dramatics, will you? Everyone knows that Daphne is a suicidal, messed up nut-job. She's more of a danger to herself than we are."

Hermione bit her tongue, face heating up in anger. She wanted to wipe that awful smirk right off of Tracey Davis' face. Instead, she simply opted for shoving past her, and storming out of the dungeons.

* * *

"I'm freaking out, Gin. I can't find her anywhere," Hermione said, eyes troubled as they made their way to McGonagall's office.

"What did Dumbledore say yesterday about her release?"

Hermione sighed.

"Nothing, because he wasn't here yesterday, and apparently, he's not here today either. What did he say the other day when you talked to him?"

Ginny halted beside her, eyes wide and lips parted. Hermione paused, turning to face her friend, eyes inquiring.

"Gin?"

She watched as Ginny blinked, a whirlpool of emotions in her eyes. She suddenly brought her hand up to her mouth, fingers shaking.

"Ginny? What's wrong?"

She slowly lifted her eyes to meet Hermione's, hand falling.

"…I didn't."

Hermione blinked and shook her head, lost.

"You didn't what?"

"I didn't go talk to him!" Ginny shrieked in shock.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat, wand almost falling from her hands as she registered Ginny's words.

" _What?_ "

"I…"

"What do you mean you didn't talk to him?" Hermione demanded.

"I don't- I mean… I was going to talk to him. I was on my way to tell him _everything_ , and then…I just didn't," she softly explained, shaking her head in disbelief, as if just now remembering.

Hermione stumbled back, eyes frantic.

" _Why not?_ "

"I didn't want to," Ginny simply said.

Hermione blinked, fisting her hand into her hair.

"You didn't _want_ to?"

Ginny's eyes found Hermione's again, a horrific realization washing over her.

"I was on my way to see him. I was almost there, and suddenly, I didn't want to tell him. Everything in me was telling me that I shouldn't tell him, and so I didn't," she whispered.

Hermione took a step back, a cold feeling numbing her bones as she registered what Ginny was actually saying.

"We have to get to McGonagall and fast," she whispered.

It wasn't long before they were bursting into her office, chests heaving as the older witch looked up at them in shock.

"Ms. Granger and Ms. Weasley! What-?"

"Daphne Greengrass has the Dark Mark," Hermione rushed out.

Professor McGonagall stood, eyes widening in alarm. With a wave of her hand, the door slammed shut.

"Now, Ms. Granger…that is a very _serious_ accusation-."

"You don't understand! She came to me for help, I've _seen_ it. We made an Unbreakable Vow-," Hermione cut herself off at McGonagall's sharp intake of breath.

Her professor swiftly made her way around her desk, eyes flickering between the two of them, worried.

"Please, tell me that you did no such thing," she breathed.

"She didn't exactly have a choice, Professor. It was the only way we could fully trust each other," Ginny explained.

"She wanted protection for her and her sister. She had deep regrets about what she'd done, and she wanted out, but…"

"Speak, Ms. Granger."

"She tried to kill herself the other night…" McGonagall gasped "…that's what really happened. She'd gotten an Owl from her parents. They know what she did, and so does _he_."

The quiet atmosphere was thick with tension as that last word hung in the air, the implications of who 'he' was were heavy.

"We can't find her, Professor," Hermione whispered. "…and I'm worried that… I'm just worried."

McGonagall nodded.

"Very well. The two of you will remain here," she said, hurrying past them.

"…but, Professor," Ginny exclaimed, throwing her arms up.

"The two of you have done wonderfully, but this is something that should have been handled by an adult from the very beginning. She should never have come to you, Ms. Granger. As wise and talented as you are, you are still just a child, like her, and you should have never been put into this predicament."

They watched as she left, a sigh falling from Ginny's lips.

"We're not staying in here, right?"

"Of course not. I made a promise to do everything in _my_ power to help Daphne. I can't help her if I'm sitting here like an obedient dog," Hermione said, exiting the room.

"Hermione, someone used the Imperius Curse on me," Ginny said as soon as they stepped into the corridor.

"Yeah, that's fairly evident now," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Who do you think…?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I easily would have thought that it could have been Nott, hell, even Draco, but after today… There's more going on in that house than we think," Hermione whispered.

"Voldemort is turning members of his former house into Death Eaters. What more could there be?"

Hermione shook her head.

"I don't know, but we need to find Harry. We need the map…"

* * *

"Where the bloody hell have you been? No one knew where you were, and we've been waiting for almost an hour!"

Harry rolled his eyes as he and Ron approached them, the courtyard quiet, the only light coming from the full moon above them.

"Come off it, Gin," Ron groaned.

"What do you need the map for, anyway? What's going on?"

She and Ginny looked at each other, neither one of them answering Harry's question. Hermione sighed, realizing that she was going to probably have to tell Harry the truth about Daphne, maybe even about _everything_. Ginny took the map from Harry, handing it to her.

"I'll talk to him about _Daphne…_ ," Hermione smiled, grateful that that was all they'd be discussing. "Go find her, and be safe. We'll catch up."

"Thanks," Hermione breathed.

She hurried away. She made her way inside the corridor, opening the map, and just barely uttering the words when-.

"She's going to get you killed."

Hermione shrieked, spinning around to face none other than Draco. She placed her hand flat on her chest and glared at him. The last time she saw him, she'd kneed him in the groin, because he too had been after Daphne.

"I-."

"I don't know what possessed her to go to you for help, but I'm not happy about it," he said.

"Am I supposed to care? What's it to you, anyway?"

Draco clenched his jaw and glanced at the map, raising an eyebrow.

"Is that supposed to help you find her?"

Hermione was silent, opting on what to do. Time was running out, and the longer she waited, the more nervous Hermione grew. There was no way Draco was just going to let her go, but she wasn't sure she trusted him with Daphne's safety. Hermione released a shaky breath, and Draco stepped closer, fingers dancing along her jaw.

"Hey…," he whispered.

"What do you want with her?" Hermione inquired, brown eyes pleading.

Draco pressed his lips together, eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm not going to hurt her," he replied.

"How can I believe you?"

"Do you really have a choice, right now?"

Hermione sighed before looking down at the map, eyes widening.

"Well?"

She closed it, clutching her wand to her chest.

"Let's just go," she murmured.

Their trek was quiet at first, something that she knew would not last for long, and she was right.

"You put up a good fight, today," he complimented.

"I know. It would have been even better if you had fought fairly," Hermione responded, bitter.

Draco chuckled from beside her, the sound going straight to her gut.

"It was a duel, Hermione. You think that if you had been battling my father to the death, he would have fought fair?"

She pursed her lips.

"I supposed that you do have a point," she whispered. "Still, it was purely for grading purposes, and you completely invaded my privacy."

"I wanted to win," was his only reply.

"…so did I."

"Well…why didn't you?"

She glanced up at him with a frown.

"Excuse me?"

"Blaise told me that he told you about my… _problem_ with bats," he answered.

"You mean that you're afraid of them," she corrected with a smile.

"That's neither here nor there. Why didn't you do it? I would have lost it, for sure…"

"…because that's how you play, not me."

"Hmm. That kind of thinking can get you into a heap of trouble, Hermione."

"You're probably right," she sighed as they approached the thick trees.

"Really? She's in there? Merlin, she really _is_ mental" Draco incredulously whispered.

Hermione threw him a scathing look before opening the map, double checking.

"It would seem so…"

They both lifted their wands, casting light upon their paths before entering the foliage. A slight drizzle had begun, dampening their hair and clothes.

"Why are you so mad about Daphne coming to me for help?"

Draco didn't respond, and she glanced up to see an unreadable expression on his face.

"Well?"

"…because she's a reckless danger magnet, that's why. She should never have dragged you into any of her shit," he spat.

"She was scared," Hermione defended.

"Then she should have gone to Dumbledore. Better yet, she never should have taken the mark, at all," he said, speaking aloud what they both knew for the first time.

"Weren't you scared?"

He glanced down at her.

"No."

"Why not? Why _did_ you take it?"

It was something that had been weighing on her mind for weeks, afraid of the answer that awaited her.

"…he was going to kill my parents. There's nothing scary about making a sacrifice to protect those you care about," he answered with conviction.

Hermione faltered for half a second, taken aback by his response. She glanced down, continuing their journey.

"Why don't you want me getting involved with her?" Hermione asked as they stopped.

Draco clenched his jaw, glancing away as water droplets cascaded down his face.

"…because it's dangerous. You could get hurt or worse, and then I'd _really_ have to kill her."

"You're dangerous," she pointed out, ignoring the protectiveness in his tone.

"I can protect you though. Blaise and I can protect you from all of these pathetic amateurs in this school," he whispered, turning to face her.

Hermione lifted her chin.

"I can protect myself."

A smirk found its way onto his lips.

"I'm well aware…"

Hermione inhaled before looking down, then glancing around.

"Where is she? The map says that she should be right here," Hermione murmured.

Draco slowly spun around, shining his wand into the darkness as they both scanned the area. Hermione huffed in frustration, looking down at the map again.

"This doesn't make any sense…"

She heard Draco sharply inhale before slowly exhaling.

"Hermione…," he whispered.

She turned to him, her questions dying on her lips as she noticed where he was looking. His wand was pointed up, eyes following his gaze as his head tilted back. Hermione felt nauseous, slowly lifting her eyes to follow his stare, dropping both her wand and the map as a scream tore itself from her lips.

* * *

 **I don't know, I feel compelled to say this, but as someone who struggles with mental health, we all have days that just feel hopeless and days that are a bit better than others. If any of you ever need to talk, I'm here. If any of you ever feel like it's getting bad again, please, seek help. It does get better. I know that it never seems like that, but eventually, it does get better. I can't tell you how many times something wonderful happened and I went 'Man, I'm really glad that I didn't kill myself". I have plenty of bad days too, but things like FF and my readers help me deal with that. I adore you guys, and you definitely keep me going.**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Warning: Mentions of suicide**

* * *

Hermione leaned against the tree, staring up at the school while she waited for Draco. The downpour was a bit heavier now, her hair and clothes clinging to her skin. The sight of Daphne's lifeless body hanging from the tree was something that would forever be burned into her memory. She swallowed, wrapping her arms around herself as she heard his approaching footsteps.

"I can take her by myself, Hermione."

"No…no," she swallowed again. "I want to go, I have to."

She didn't look at him as she began walking towards the castle, vision blurring from the rain and her tears. Hermione had failed her, and that was a revelation that was very heavy on the Gryffindor's heart. Seventeen years of life… Was that really all that Daphne got? She clenched her jaw, eyes troubled as she noted three figures running towards her.

"Hermione, what's going on? Did you find her?" Ginny called, running towards them.

"Oi! What's Malfoy doing here?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, ignoring Ron's question.

"Why _is_ Malfoy here? What was he doing in there with you?"

She noticed Harry's scowl the closer they got, and it drove her mad. Before he knew it, she had stomped towards him and shoved him in the chest, satisfaction coursing through her veins when he stumbled back, eyes wide.

"Shut up, Harry. Just _shut up_! There are far worse things than my coming out of the Dark Forest with Draco sodding Malfoy," she spat.

She could see it in his eyes when he finally noticed the limp body in Draco's arms. She brushed past him, heading inside the school.

"Hermione," Ginny called, running to catch up with her friend. "Hermione…she looks…"

"She is," was all Hermione said.

She paid Ginny no mind as the redhead stopped in shock.

* * *

"…and that was where we found her," Draco finished.

Hermione was numb in her seat, fingers picking at a loose string on her skirt. She didn't have to look up to see the solemn look on Dumbledore's face. He'd returned to Hogwarts as soon as he could via word of McGonagall, but he was too late. She heard Professor McGonagall's shaky breaths, tears caught in her throat as Draco recounted what had happened.

"This…is a very unfortunate incident. The fear and hopelessness one must feel to…," Dumbledore trailed off, rising from his seat.

He came to stand in front of his desk, gazing down at the two of them, eyes twinkling.

"She did indeed bear the Dark Mark, as you said, Ms. Granger."

Hermione slowly looked up, meeting his eyes.

"I have to wonder if there are others in the school as well. It's certainly an understandable concern, wouldn't you agree?"

Before Hermione could properly open her mouth, Draco answered for her.

"I think that's doubtful, Professor. It would be _much_ too risky. After all, look how this situation turned out…"

Hermione glared at him, only to frown slightly as she noticed the way he and Professor Dumbledore's eyes locked and held. Her eyes flickered between them, and with a blink, Professor Dumbledore was moving to sit back down.

"Perhaps you are right, Mr. Malfoy. Perhaps this tragic matter was all simply a trial and error test gone horribly wrong."

"I had your friends sent to bed, Ms. Granger. Merlin knows Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley would have stayed outside all night if they could. You two best try to get some rest as well. We'll speak with the two of you more on the matter tomorrow," McGonagall sadly added.

The tears came all over again as soon as they stepped out into the corridor. Her fingers dug into Draco's back as he wrapped his arms around her, burying her head in his chest.

"I failed her," Hermione murmured.

"She wasn't yours to save," was Draco's reply.

Hermione pulled away to glare at him.

"She came to _me_ -!"

"And she should never have done that," he hissed.

She took a step back, glowering up at him.

"You don't look the least bit sad. She was _your_ housemate, after all," Hermione whispered.

Draco's jaw ticked as he looked down at her, eyebrow raised.

"I shagged her twice. That hardly made us friends," was his response.

Hermione scoffed in disgust, turning away from him.

"Hermione, wait," he said, grabbing her wrist.

"I don't feel like basking in the presence of your insensitivity, right now."

"I'm sorry," he slowly said, gently turning her around to face him.

She reluctantly looked up at him, face pinched in a frown.

"I'm being a right git, I know. I just… You can't expect me to focus on her when she meant little to nothing to me, and you-," he cut himself off.

"I what?"

"You're hurting because of _her_ mistakes. You're in this mess because of _her_ problems, problems that she had no business involving you in," she had the strangest feeling that that wasn't what he was going to say. "It was selfish and stupid of her to include you. I don't give a rat's ass about her."

"Classy as always, Draco," she sneered.

"What do you want from me?" he hissed, face incredibly close to hers.

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing…"

"I'm sorry that you had to see her like that. I'm sorry that was something you had to experience. I'm sorry that you're hurting right now because of her. Most of all, I'm sorry that she felt the need to drag you into _her_ troubles, putting you in even more danger than you already are. That is _all_ that I am sorry about in this situation," he harshly said.

Hermione chewed on her lip, resigned to admit that she couldn't make Draco be something that he wasn't. Draco sighed too, running his hands over his face before resting them on his waist.

"Let me walk you to your dorm," he offered.

She glared at him before thinking better of it and simply rolling her eyes.

"Whatever," she said as she led the way.

"You made an Unbreakable Vow with her…"

"I did. She made me vow to do everything in my power to protect her and her sister from others who wished to do them harm. I can see now that she was very careful with her word choices," Hermione answered.

Hermione wondered if Daphne already had plans to do what she did if things didn't work out like she hoped.

"Daphne always had problems, Hermione. This isn't your fault," he said.

"That's what I keep hearing," Hermione murmured, eyes somber.

Draco stopped her before they reached the portrait, standing in front of her. Something unknown was swimming in his eyes as he looked down at her.

"What?"

He ran his eyes over her before reaching into his pocket, pulling something out that was small enough to be completely enclosed in his fist. Hermione frowned in confusion as he gripped her hand, transferring whatever it was into her palm, not letting go.

" _I'm sorry_ ," he said, the words dripping with sincerity and conviction as he gazed into her eyes.

Her eyes widened just a bit, shocked, as she caught onto what he was referring to.

"It was sleazy and stupid and wrong. I thought that it was a good idea at the time," he whispered. "I thought… I thought that it was the only way."

She blinked as he walked past her, shoulder brushing against her own as she looked down at what was in her hand. She held the small vial up in curiosity, gazing at the strange substance inside before it finally clicked.

It was an extracted memory.

* * *

"I am sure that by now, you all have heard of the unfortunate news that has been spreading throughout the school. I regret to inform you that it is true. The young Ms. Daphne Greengrass was discovered late last night in the Dark Forest…"

Hermione tuned out the murmurs and cries that began to fill the Great Hall. She had barely gotten any sleep all night, her mind replaying the moment when they discovered Daphne on repeat. She sighed, fingering the vial in her robes, wondering just what it was that Draco could possibly want to show her. His words weighed heavily on her mind, throwing her mind into a tailspin.

She brought her lip in between her teeth, eyes troubled as Dumbledore continued to talk. She wondered if Daphne's parents would be coming later, curious as to what they were going to do with Astoria. She'd made a vow to protect her too, and she'd be damned if she ended up with Daphne's fate. She looked up, glancing around and suddenly feeling a raging headache, chest aching as she thought of Daphne.

She abruptly stood up, ignoring the eyes that landed on her as she did so, and exited the Great Hall. Hermione couldn't sit there as they talked about Daphne's suicide with her friends all staring at her, pleading for answers to their questions. Or perhaps they were just waiting for her to break down. The corridors were empty, hauntingly so as she made her way to the Astronomy Tower. She took the stairs slowly, recalling the last time that she'd been up there, saving Daphne's life.

A sigh escaped her lips as she approached the railing, grabbing onto it and kneeling down. She stared down at the ground, wondering how Daphne could've swallowed whatever fear she had in order to try and jump. Perhaps her fear of Voldemort and what he would do to her outweighed her fear of the unknown. Then again, maybe she wasn't like Hermione, and had no fear of the unknown, at all.

Hermione had always been afraid of the unknown. She feared not knowing, being unsure. It had been that way ever since she was little. Ever since she could read and fully understand what was going on, she _hated_ not knowing. Anything that required blind faith unnerved her, put her into an unfamiliar element.

It was why she had no problem fooling around with Blaise. The prospect of something more had never been an option. They both knew they had an expiration date, and despite how much it had hurt at times to think about, it was something that was inevitable. They were going to have their fun and part ways when the time eventually came. It was simple.

Adding Draco into the mix complicated things, especially since they both had seemed to make it clear that they wanted _all_ of her. Draco was a Death Eater, she was Harry's best friend, and Blaise… Hermione honestly didn't even know what to think of Blaise sometimes. She'd always liked how mysterious and ambiguous he could be at times, but now it just unnerved her.

She frowned as she heard approaching footsteps, and she didn't have to turn around to know who it was. His presence was something she could pick up on.

"Why did you leave…?"

"I wasn't enough," she murmured into her arm. "I'm sure Draco told you all of the ugly details. She came to me for help, and I wasn't enough."

She heard him stepping closer, exhaling.

"Daphne was messed up long before you came along, way before she even got the mark."

She stood, tired of hearing that.

"This wasn't the first time. It was only a matter of time before she succeeded. Her parents had been covering it up for years," he continued.

"Why?" she spat.

"…because it was embarrassing for them," he answered, standing beside her now.

Hermione shook her head, disturbed by that before looking at him. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the small container that Draco had given her, and held it up to his face.

"Draco gave me this. Apparently, it's something that he really wants me to know. Any ideas of what it could be?'

Blaise hummed, taking it from her hands and rolling it around between his fingers.

"It's obviously something he deems to be important, important enough for you to see for yourself," he murmured.

"That's all I get?"

Blaise chuckled at her frustration with his lack of answers, handing it back to her.

"The only way to know is to find out for yourself, Hermione. That's usually how it works," he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes, shoving it back into her pocket. She glanced up at him as he gazed down at her, eyebrows furrowed. She looked away when he reach out to brush his thumb along her jaw.

"I miss you," he suddenly whispered.

Hermione didn't respond, glaring out onto the school grounds. She heard him sigh.

"I know that the feeling is mutual…"

She turned to face him, eyes hard.

"I may miss you…but that doesn't mean that I should."

He stepped closer, taking her face in his hands, eyes desperately searching.

"What do I have to do to make this right?"

She backed away from him, holding her hands out.

"Blaise," she sighed. "Even if I did forgive you, what would that really change? I'm not so sure that I can even fully _trust_ you anymore! Not to mention that I am in no way ready for what you want from me. This isn't like before where it was just fun. You're asking a _lot_ of me and… What would people say? How would I explain this to anyone?"

"Why do you always feel like you have to explain yourself to anyone? _Fuck them_ ," he said, grabbing her hands, eyes blazing.

"I can't just- heh. Why am I even _entertaining_ this?"

"…because you want to."

Hermione huffed, looking away.

"What do you want, Hermione?"

She looked down.

"It doesn't matter-."

"Yes, it does! What do _you_ want?"

"What I want doesn't matter! We can't have everything we want, and just because we want it, it doesn't make it right. This…it's not happening, Blaise," she said, turning to face him.

His nostrils flared, skin stretching around his knuckles as he gripped the railing.

"Why, because you don't want it to? Or because you're afraid?"

Hermione didn't answer, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at him. He took another step towards her, staring her down.

"If this isn't what you want, then I'll back off. We'll both stop, accepting the fact that neither one of us can be with you. We'll all move on, and years from now, this whole thing will just be a memory," he said.

Hermione dug her nails into the palm of her hands, biting her lip.

"Look me in my eyes, and tell me that that is what you want. Tell me that you don't want this, and we're gone," he whispered.

She didn't respond, simply glaring at him, unable to make her lips move. Blaise took a step back, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips.

"Yeah…that's what I thought."

Hermione exhaled, turning to face the school grounds again, mouth suddenly falling open as her mind began to spin. She pursed her lips, leaning over to glare at the ground.

"Are you serious about making this right? Are you going to do anything it takes?"

"For you, Hermione… _anything_ ," he confirmed.

She straightened up, turning her head to stare at him.

"If you want to make this right, then there's something that I want-. No. If you want to make this right, then there's something you are _going_ to do for me…"

* * *

Hermione stepped off of the staircase, entering Dumbledore's office, slowing down at the sound of McGonagall's voice. They appeared to be having a discussion.

"I was told that she had received a very upsetting letter from the both of you! A letter, that had her frantic and-!"

"We hadn't Owl'd our daughter in _months_. Surely, you aren't blaming us for her demise," a deep and unfamiliar voice hissed.

Hermione frowned as she realized that they were talking to Daphne's parents. Her frown only deepened once she registered what Mr. Greengrass said, confusion taking over.

"What are you insinuating, Mr. Greengrass? That I am making this up?"

Hermione could hear soft sobs through the arguing. Mrs. Greengrass, no doubt.

"Show me this letter then! _I want to see it_."

There was a brief pause, one in which Hermione could hear paper rustling. A minute or two passed before she heard Daphne's father scoff in disbelief, the flutter of paper ripping through the air a second later. She assumed he tossed it.

"My wife did not write this. Neither one of us did. What kind of game do you think you are playing at, Dumbledore? Do you take me for a fool? You expect me to believe a word of this?"

Hermione involuntarily took a step forward, unaware that she was now visible.

"Ah, Ms. Granger. Do, come in," McGonagall said, waving her over.

Dumbledore and Mr. Greengrass exchanged a few more harsh words before he grabbed his wife and headed for the exit. Hermione stumbled back, giving them room to pass. The blonde man glared at her as they passed, the sight of familiar piercing blue eyes striking through her like a knife. She looked at him with wide eyes, mind going a mile a minute as his words played on repeat inside of her head, wondering what they meant.

"Have a seat, Ms. Granger…"

* * *

"Hey! We hadn't seen you all day, and we were growing worried," Ginny said, sitting up at the sound of the portrait closing.

The Common Room was empty, Ginny being the only occupant. There was a dying fire in the fireplace, and she could see Ginny wrapped up in a blanket.

"Were you asleep?"

Ginny chuckled.

"I was waiting up for you. Trying to, anyway. How are you?" she quietly asked.

Hermione ignored her question, sitting down beside Ginny in a daze. She wondered if her face showcased her inner turmoil at the moment.

"I just came back from Professor Dumbledore's office…," Hermione slowly whispered.

Ginny straightened up, eyes inquiring as they rested on Hermione.

"…and…?"

Hermione swallowed, eyebrows pulled together.

"Daphne's parents were there, and they…they said that they never sent her an Owl," Hermione repeated.

Ginny scoffed.

"Well, obviously they're _lying_. To admit to it would be admitting to being involved with Voldemort, and knowingly getting their daughter involved."

Hermione slowly shook her head.

"That is true, but… I don't think that they were lying," she quietly said, almost too afraid to speak up.

Ginny didn't respond. Hermione replayed the scene over again in her head.

"You didn't hear her father, didn't see his face. I believe him…"

"Well, then Voldemort must have sent it, letting Daphne know that he knew, and that she was in a shitload of trouble," Ginny responded.

"Ginny…"

"What?"

Hermione opened her mouth, slamming it shut as she clenched her teeth.

"Hermione, what is it?"

"Something tells me that Voldemort didn't send that letter, either," Hermione whispered, almost inaudibly.

She raised her eyes, meeting Ginny's wide ones as Hermione's words sank in. Ginny let out a disbelieving breath, fear climbing onto her features.

"W-what? You think someone else did? You- you're telling me that you think someone else sent her that letter?" Ginny demanded.

"So many people have been telling me that everyone knew about Daphne's issues. Everyone knew that her sanity and mental wellbeing was… _fragile_."

Ginny shakily stood up, completely thrown.

"Whoever sent it knew that it would have her reeling, spiraling downward faster than she could blink," Ginny murmured.

Hermione swallowed, staring into the fire.

"Daphne killed herself…but I think she definitely had some help along the way."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


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